Free Poker Guide - How To Read Set Hands

De CidesaWiki

Regardless of if you just play free poker online or play for that highest stakes imaginable a Set is among the most unreadable hands in Texas Hold'em.

A Set consists of a pocket pair plus one of many Community cards containing the same rank because your pocket pair.

For example, if you have 4-4 and the Community cards are 5-4-10-J-K, you have a Set of Fours.

Sets are unreadable because most players are accustomed to reading (a) two different hole cards, (b) high cards or overpairs, (c) draws that complete the Board, or (d) cards anyway related to the Board cards.

Our hand reading habits generally a mix of limiting possible hands for the given characteristics of the board/community. How would you put someone on 5-5 or 4-4 if it's much easier that will put him on A-K (to find the best pair, best kicker), A-Q (for the made Straight), or K-10 or 5-4 (for Two-Pair), or perhaps A-A (a top pair)?

Sometimes maybe you might even put him on one Five, say, 6-5. But on two Fives or two Fours? This is why Sets are incredibly potent in Boards which have no Straight or Flush potential.

However, suppose in a very Flop of Q-7-2 without having Straight or Flush possibilities, you've got 2-2. You check (seeking to trap him), the opposite player bets. You raise all in create immediately calls and reveals Q-Q. You thought your assailant had A-Q or K-Q. How is this possible? It's possible. Even in this spot you're more susceptible.

Because there aren't any Straight or Flush potentials the opponent will fold cards that didn't go with the Board cards. If you read hands according for the criteria above, you may put your attacker on A-Q, K-Q, or perhaps Q-7 (are you able to go so far as 7-2?!).

Here because you are the one that moved all-in, the results of the hand isn't fully in your control; it's approximately whether your attacker calls or not.

But think the situation is reversed. The player with the Q-Q checks, you bet, then the solution is a raise all-in. How would you act?

When you can find yourself slammed in the situation similar to this (which will occurs on the Flop) on a cash game, take it since it is. Pay him off. Some other time you'll have the Q-Q, various other player can have the 2-2, and pokerqq will also be paid off.

But in the tournament, you have many givens to take into consideration (and you could possibly want to take into account these during a regular cash game). Compare your stack sizes compared to the other person. If the difference is fantastic, expect among you to place his chips in the center.

A Set will be the best hand two of you can have to obtain a double-up. If you possess the smaller Set get eliminated, attribute it to bad luck. However, assuming both of you've stacks above chip average, and you are put to an alternative costing you all or virtually all your chips. You have 2-2. You're not probably be blinded out in a few hands.

You might want to reason out:

I have a very Set.


He raised me enough to place me all-in, or almost.


He may take action with Q-7.


And whether your assailant had Q-7 or not is dependent upon what happened preflop.


If no raise occurred it can be with Q-7, and you can safely call.


Whether your opponent had 7-7 or otherwise may also come under similar scrutiny


Or if there exists a raise, it might be with A-Q.

Now, top pair, top kicker is a weak hand to risk an above-average stack.

And there isn't any Straight and Flush incoming, so the all-in might be made simply with an especially strong hand. It might be also with A-A or with K-K (almost certainly it really is) nonetheless it might even be just with Q-Q.

If I put him on those three hands, there's a 2/3 chance I'm right, but a 1/3 chance of wrong, so when I'm wrong I will be busted. So I'll fold.

If you possess the center Set (Set of Sevens), a similar analysis may also apply.

But you will be much safer since there is merely one Set to kill you instead of the two possible Sets not long ago. If you possess the Set of Queens, enjoy!

The above analysis is agonizing and painstaking, specially when it all depends upon giving up one of several most valued hands in Hold'Em.

Reading Sets In summary

It takes some time to learn to read hands, it isn't something the unthinking donk "chip flingers" seen on many free poker tables even consider.

Most players it seems like can't or won't position the period in, a variety offer to play for entertainment which misses out about the key fact that winning plenty of cash is often a lot more fun!

I think it's crazy that many people play with so little skill and almost enjoy the fact! But this can be very good news in your case as one of the few that's learning to try out well.

That's because once you discover to play poker with above average skill and they are capable of combat the "all-in-all the time" donk maniacs then you can definitely take them apart in coldly calculated massacres when you like.