Poker Shark
How do you play pocket threes?
Pocket threes is one of the smallest pairs, a near-pure set-mining hand you open from late position and otherwise play very carefully.
Pocket Threes
SpeculativeOpen it from the button and small blind, where stealing the blinds adds value on top of the set-mining. Calling a raise needs deep stacks and a good price, because the only way threes win a big pot is by flopping a set. Outside of that, the pair is almost always behind the moment another player shows interest.
In a balanced 6-max game this hand opens for a raise from the button and the small blind.
Common mistake: Treating it like a real made hand after the flop. A pair of threes is at the bottom of the pile, so calling down with it is rarely a winning play.
Quick tip: Flop a set or fold. There is very little middle ground with the small pairs.
All-in equity before the flop
How Pocket Threes runs against a few benchmark hands if all the money goes in preflop. Figures from the Poker Shark equity engine.
Pocket Threes on real flops
Precomputed equity vs a random hand once the flop is out. Each link jumps straight to the 33 row.
- 33 on 6 5 4 rainbow : the low connected board these hands are built for
- 33 on 7 6 5 two-tone : low, connected, and two-tone
- 33 on 9 6 2 monotone : a monotone board where one suit decides everything
Related hands
Know the hand? Now play it for real.
Practice these spots against opponents who punish the wrong move.