Set versus Trips

[Chipless Wonder]

It's a fairly common misconception that a set and trips are different. Many people seem to think that if you have pocket sevens and a third seven flops that that's a different hand than if you have a single seven and two more flop.

Although one is much more 'hidden' than the other, both of these hands are sets and both of these hands are trips. These two terms are completely interchangeable, and you should be able to win some wagers on this.

From Doyle Brunson's Super System, pages 546 and 552:

Set = a term used to describe Trips or Fours (Four-of-a-kind), as in a Set of Trips
Trips = slang for Three-of-a-kind

From Phil Hellmuth, Jr.'s Play Poker Like the Pros, pages 380 and 384:

Set = Three of a kind
Trips = Common term for three of a kind

From David Sklansky's The Theory of Poker, pages 290 and 292:

Set = Three-of-a-kind.
Trips = Three-of-a-kind

If it mattered whether one or both of a player's hole cards were used, certainly all three authors would have pointed this out. The fact that none did proves that a set and trips are interchangeable terms.

[Chipless Wonder]

Last night I was in a tournament and I heard someone telling a story about his hand. He mentioned that he had a set, then corrected himself by saying that he 'actually had trips, not a set'. Wake up people!

[Roman Rup]

But really, I had a set of 9's and some1 had trip 10's, my set wasnt the same as his trip's....explain this plz

[sprstoner]

i get annoyed when ppl interchange them, even with your proof.

i like the general used slang better, helps us better communicate our hands.

[otbdave]

Originally Posted by sprstoner

i get annoyed when ppl interchange them, even with your proof.

i like the general used slang better, helps us better communicate our hands.

I will always still be in full agreement with this as well.

Set = pocket pair that makes 3 of a kind.

Trips = Some random card that catches two on the flop.

For strategy purposes, they are 2 different things. For example, you will often hear of "Set-mining", and this certainly doesnt mean hoping on of your random cards catches 3 of a kind.

[Blue_O_Rock]

It seems to me that although they both represent the same had ranking that the more common use today to is to convey more information about the hand when possible. But I do hear the terms used interchangeably a lot and don't bring up the topic unless it isn't clear how a hand played out.

-Mike

[LAPPIN]

HERE HERE SCOTT

They are the exact bloody same and we have to do everything in our powers to make it stay that way. Eptymologically, you are 100% correct but language is a moving target, susceptible to hermeneutic interpretation and reinterpretation within new contexts and horizons. These terms are threatening to change meaning as a new generation of players attempt to coin their own lingo. As a traditionalist when it comes to language, I believe we must stomp down on their efforts.

[JBabel]

I feel they are not the same in the point of:
I hit a set of 9s (99 in hand) on a flop of 9JJ, and you hit a 'set' of Js with KJ, I'm pretty sure my set wins

Jarrod

so set > trips

[Chipless Wonder]

But if I hit the same flop with my J-9, then my 'trips' would be better than your 'set'.

[PokerBroker]

But if I make a donk bluff with AQos and push all in on this flop only to runner runner queen queen, my set beats both of your sets