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THREE OF A KIND
Playing poker very regularly online you can expect to be dealt three of a kind (trips) every three or four days or approximately once every four hundred and twenty five hands. If you have a modest pair of sevens as hole cards and a seven among the community cards to make up your trips, you still have an excellent chance of taking the pot, even if your hand doesn’t improve at the turn or the river. Most experienced players will take three of a kind as far as the river. The odds of you improving trips by the river are actually three to two. When three of a kind does improve it will normally be to a full house or to four of a kind. Either way, this result will make you a major favourite to take the pot. If you land three of a kind be sure to call so as not to alert the table to your good fortune and lure in as much value to the pot as the situation and your own composure will allow. What you’re hoping for is an opponent, chasing a straight or flush, to raise, giving you the opportunity to slam in a re-raise and really add some cream to the winning cake.
FREQUENTLY ASKED POKER QUESTIONS Q: What is an "over-card"? A: An over-card is a card with a face value greater than the highest rated card on the board.
Q: What does it mean to “flop a draw”? A: If the flop takes you to a four card flush or straight that means you have flopped a draw. In other words you will need to decide whether to continue to the turn or even the river, in the hope of “drawing” the fifth card for your flush or straight. Before making this decision you’ll need enough opposing players to make the pot size worth the mathematical risk you are taking. In other words you need to calculate the odds against you completing your hand. This is not as complicated as it sounds. The question is simply how many players make the risk- reward -ratio worthwhile? Usually a professional player will want to see at least three other players going for the pot before he will attempt the potential draw. That’s the magic figure to keep in mind. If three or more players are left in the game with you, go for it.
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ALL THE ACES poker column: Wednesday January 25, 2006: Tripping On Poker Trips
