Does three of a kind beat one pair?
Yes. Three of a kind beats one pair.
Makes a three of a kind.
Makes a pair.
Three cards of the same rank beat any single pair, even a high one like queens. Hitting a set against an overpair is one of the most profitable spots in poker because the pair rarely sees it coming.
On a board of Q♦ 7♠ 2♣ 5♥ 9♠, one player holds 7♦ 7♣ for a set of sevens and the other holds A♠ Q♠ for top pair with an ace kicker. The queens are a strong hand on this dry board, which is exactly why they pay off three streets of bets to the set.
Set over top pair is the most profitable cooler in cash games, because top pair with a strong kicker rarely folds to one bet. The set should bet every street and size up on the turn. For the pair, the warning sign is a caller who raises on a dry board with no draws; that raise is a set far more often than a bluff. Two pair sits between them on the ladder.
Quick tip: Three of a kind beats one pair, regardless of the pair’s rank.
Now put the rankings to work.
Practice real hands against opponents who punish the wrong calls.
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