If the flop brings three of the same kind of cards to the table, players will often stay in the hand if they aren’t completely sure they have the best hand. This is the quickest way to lose a lot of money if you’re not sure. The point is, if you are calling raises with KQ when everyone folds to you, you are pretty sure you are drawing terrible. Three of a kind itself is not a bad hand to have, but you want high card. You need surrender if you have less than high card. Obviously, if you’re playing against more than one opponent, you will need to adjust your continuation betting strategy accordingly.
Seventy percent of the time, you will have some kind of hand, and you should keep in mind that your raise may be seen as a way of encouraging action, or bluffing. If you’re not sure, you probably shouldn’t be betting. This is especially true of first time players. Some first time players love the feel of playing poker. They love the act of being in a hand, of making a bet, of seeing the look on someone’s face. Once they have experienced a hand or two, the overwhelming majority of them start playing hands with the desire to win, and they absolutely hate it when they lose. First time players will always hate the feeling of losing and you can simply bank on that.
If you’re holding Big Slick, the most important thing to think about is the situation you are putting the other players in. If you are the only one betting, you are essentially playing Dewavegas, and you can’t do anything to win the hand. If someone re-raises, you have to make a decision. Limping or calling is a very sad option. You need to find a spot to insert a large bet, otherwise you’re simply giving away your chips. Raising or just betting would also let everyone at the table know that you have a strong hand. When you bet top pair, top kicker, or some other such nonsense, you’re telling everyone else that you’re playing strong. You’re not doing that to lure people into calling you, that’s a different story.
Remember that although you are currently holding three of a kind, you could only win the hand if someone calls you. There’s a chance that someone else could beat you with a better hand, so don’t act too confident. The thing about three of a kind is that it’s kind of like holding two cards. You already have the best hand, but then you have three, and with those extra cards, you could possibly win two more pots. It’s a good hand to hold, but after the flop it doesn’t really matter what everyone else does, you still have the best hand. Ask yourself, is there anyone that’s going to call a pot with only a pair of threes? If there are, now you have a situation where you need a three to win. Can someone make a three of a kind with less than optimal holdings? Most people can’t. So if you have three of a kind and someone else calls you, you need to make a decision. Your instinct should be to make a big raise, but you need to factor in the circumstances. If there’s nothing that dissuading you, don’t make the raise too high. Consider your situation and think about what others are likely to have. For example, if you have three aces and everyone else has two, you could probably get away with a big raise and possibly steal the blinds. Two other people with twos could probably get you to fold, if they have a good hand. As if you have the best hand, play it tight. Consider bluffing too, especially against players with a low stack.
Making decisions with three of a kind is a little bit different. Most players think that three aces is the best hand, but that’s not the case. If someone raises and you know that they have more than you, you could fold. However, the best way to play this hand is to figure out what everyone else will do before you go to make the decision. Use your instincts and play this hand in a way that you would play a stronger hand like king-three off suit. Pay attention to what the other players may have, and play the hand in a way that you think they would play it if you had more aces. The more you evaluate the hand, the better you will play it. When you think you have a stronger hand, you need to raise the bet. Predicting your opponents’ actions is a little bit like reading their cards, but with a much greater investment on your part.
Let’s look at a quick example. Pocket aces is an average hand, and is generally a hand that you would raise with.