Do you fold sets?

Mr. Flibble

Hi all,.

I've just started playing cash games on the net a few days ago - all going well, winning slowly but consistantly - well except for 2 hands which have done major damage to my bankroll.

Both were essentially the same. I flopped a set in an unraised pot with 1 higher and 1 lower card out, and no straight or flush possibility. I raised and got reraised all in (both times massive overbets compared to the size of the pot). I called to find myself up against top set.

So my question is, should i consider folding middle set in future, or have i just been wildly unlucky for this to happen twice so early in my cash game career?

fyi the hands were JJJ v KKK and 888 v 999
edit: the jjj kkk hand was raised pf(by me)

hotspur

Sets are strong, they're your bread and butter in poker, but if you are playing at stakes which has 5-6 players for the flop all the time then yes you will have to consider folding middle set now and then, as you move up and there are 2-3 players for a flop then middle set is golden

califano

Mr. Flibble wrote:

no straight or flush possibility. I raised and got reraised all in (both times massive overbets compared to the size of the pot). I called to find myself up against top set.

So my question is, should i consider folding middle set in future, or have i just been wildly unlucky for this to happen twice so early in my cash game career?

Hi Fibble
Yeah always consider your options but i think youve been unlucky to run into a better hand.These things will always happen sometimes for as long as your playing poker. I would happily do my stack every time with even bottom set on a board that hasnt got straight or flush possibilities and a lot of times ones that do. Players will often make bets this big with one or 2 pair and a call on such an excessive bet will be good more times than not over time imo.

Tourneque

I would need a very good reason to lay either of those hands down .. and to be honest, would almost never do so in Holdem.

Just unlucky.

Lafortezza

Possibly think about folding a set on a board like 789 or if there's four of a suit on the board but rarely otherwise.

RoundTower

Mr. Flibble wrote:

Hi all,.

I've just started playing cash games on the net a few days ago - all going well, winning slowly but consistantly - well except for 2 hands which have done major damage to my bankroll.

Both were essentially the same. I flopped a set in an unraised pot with 1 higher and 1 lower card out, and no straight or flush possibility. I raised and got reraised all in (both times massive overbets compared to the size of the pot). I called to find myself up against top set.

So my question is, should i consider folding middle set in future, or have i just been wildly unlucky for this to happen twice so early in my cash game career?

fyi the hands were JJJ v KKK and 888 v 999
edit: the jjj kkk hand was raised pf(by me)

It's slightly, not wildly, that this happened twice to you before you ended up with top set against middle set twice. When that happens you'll win it back. Then you also win some against people who will call you with Q high, etc.

Ste05

If you both FLOP sets, it's just unlicky, if the Villian hits his set after the flop then fair play to him but in a cash game I'd never fold middle set on a non coordinated board.

Caveat: Level, Notes and Pt stats depending

TacT

In a few rare cases yes. If there's a straight on the board. If there are a lot of callers and it's getting raised and reraised. or If the board comes 2QK for your 22 and you're certain one of the other two guys in the pot with you isn't going to jeapordise his stack unless he has QQ/KK in the pocket. Most of the time you just have to bite the bullet and pay off. They say it's a rare thing to happen but I'm finding that a little hard to believe the more I play on tribeca!

I have had a couple of days where several times in a day I caught a set and someone had a bigger one, it cost me a fat chunk of roll/profit on some occasions. 88 to 99 on an 892 board. 55 to 1010 on a 3510 board. I literally couldn't believe it, it seemed every time I hit someone else hit bigger and we are talking about 5 or 6 times, sometimes in a row here. A little disturbing to say the least. :mad:

Can anyone confirm they see the same thing happening on other networks or is it a rare thing?

kincsem

Only if they are folding seats

padser

I think middle flop in a cash game, in the absense of a strong read such a big bet is probably a gambler with maybe a straight or flush draw, trying to get you to fold and willing to take the gamble if you call knowing he will almost certianly be drawing to the best hand. Im calling almost always if no made straight or flush out there.

After all the whole reason you limp with a pocket pair in an unraised pot is to hit your set and get lots of chips in the middle!!

Edit: its really a horrible situation though, mostly if you make a call and your beind you have 6 to 10 outs. Or 20 to 40%, but if your up against a higher set ur basically drawing dead to the one remaining card you have to make a poker. Less then 5%

Mr. Flibble

Oh have mercy! It happened again today. 3 times in my 1st week of cash game, what the hell is going on? This time it was 666 vs 888, again no flush or straight possibility. Agh.
bye bye money

DapperGent

I can honestly say that (In holdem) I have never folded a set where some kind of set was the nuts.

Mr. Flibble

and again today. 333 vs AAA

stephenoleary

No consolation, I know, but I've seen this happen on a number of occassions in live games too. Twice in one night in fact, but from my own experience, the odds are with you when you hit a set. How many times have they held up for you? I know its hard to focus on those hands, but it may give you a better perspective on things. For instance, if you are playing a large number of hands per day, and the sets are holding up 4 out of 5 times, you can't really complain.

Mr. Flibble

Ah yeah, I suppose its not all bad:) Last one wasnt so bad as i only had $20 at the table to lose. Just the other 3 were massive (for me) - i'd be $250 richer if id won those hands - and this is in games with .20 cent big blinds.

a-k-47

ive often ran into bigger sets in cash games but also ive had the bigger set on numerous occasions, overall you'll win more hands with sets but u will get raped now and then!. an e.g few weeks ago 1/2nl on tribeca im sitting with KK make it 16 one caller. K 8 X played to the river, ends up all in for about a 200$ pot. KKK V 888. 3 hands later im on the receiving end to a smaller stack. villain 666 v 555 on flop again. **** happens but overall im making a profit here.