Trips

1. Poker slang for three of a kind.

You Should Also Know...

Trips and a set are both names for three of a kind, but it helps to differentiate the two when discussing a hand. While some people consider the difference nothing more than semantics, most poker players feel it is important to use the “proper” terms.

Trips is a three of a kind made with one hole card and a pair on the board. A set, on the other hand, uses a pair in the hole and a single card on the board. When detailing a hand history to somebody, if you say you flopped trips when you actually had a pocket pair (and, thus, a set), it can mislead your listener and make the rest of the hand confusing.

Most players are forgiving to novices who use "set" and "trips" interchangeably, as, after all, we were all new to poker at some point, but it is useful to learn the difference between the two terms so that you can use them appropriately.

Math Time!

If you have unpaired hole cards, the probability of flopping trips is 1.35%.

Related Terms

Set