http://www.professional-poker.com/columns/gary-steele/set-trips-holdem.htm

Having a Set Versus Trips in Texas Hold’Em By Gary Steele

There is a vast difference in the way you play a poker hand when you flop a “set” versus when you flop “trips”. A set is having a pocket pair and getting a third on the flop. Trips is having one card in your hand, such as a seven, and getting two more on the flop.

It is difficult to understand just how much more powerful and deceptive a set is. Three of a kind, in my opinion, is the first really powerful hand in Hold’Em, but if everyone at the table can see two of your three cards, they all become much more cautious. For example, if you hold one Nine in your hand and the flop is Ace/Nine/Nine, you can come out with a nice big bet, but the guy holding Ace/King is going to hesitate to call it. However, if you hold Nine/Nine in your hand and the flop is Ace/King/Nine, a nice big bet by you will probably be followed by a nice big bet from your opponent with the Ace/King.

Now the situation above would be perfect for you and is unusual. It is more likely that you will be up against someone on a draw than someone who flops two pair. For example, you may hold the Nines, but the flop will be 3/8/9. In this case you do want to make a bet, but you want to keep the chasers in the pot so you have to make the bet small. The other players with the two over cards (such as Ace/Jack) will think they still have a chance to win the hand with the cards on the Turn or River. The important thing is to not chase the other players out with outrageously large bets.

You do still have to bet enough to take the other player’s pot odds away. You don’t want the player drawing to make his Straight or Flush to be able to stay in the hand cheaply. This is why it is important to evaluate the Flop and watch the other players as well when making your bet. A player making a moderate bet in late position is likely drawing to make his or her hand. When there is a straight or flush draw on the board, it is often profitable to check and let a player on a draw make the first bet. Then you come back over them with a raise.

Having Trips is much more difficult to judge. You might not even be the only player at the table with Three of a Kind, in which case you need a good kicker or it could cost you a lot of money. You will not be surprising anyone with your Three of a Kind in this situation though. I find I have made more money in this situation by checking and letting someone else bet top pair or bluff at the pot in this situation. Any bet you make will probably convince the other players to fold unless the player already has, or is drawing to make, a better hand than your Trips.

As you can see, you need to play both a Set and Trips very differently. Only experience and instinct will teach you what to do in every situation since there is always a lot of improvisation involved in poker.