Three of a kind is a term used in various card games, primarily in poker, to describe a hand consisting of three cards of the same rank, accompanied by two unrelated cards. This hand ranking is considered relatively high and falls below the ranks of stronger hands like a straight flush, four of a kind, and a full house, but above weaker hands such as two pair, one pair, and high card.
In poker, the aim is to obtain the highest ranking hand, and three of a kind can be a strong hand, increasing the likelihood of winning a pot. For instance, if a player holds three cards of the same rank, say three jacks, along with two unrelated cards, they have a three of a kind. The rank of the three matching cards determines the strength of the hand – having three aces is stronger than three tens.
When playing poker, it is important to note that if multiple players have three of a kind, the highest ranking set of three determines the winner. In the event where players hold the same set of three cards, the value of the two unrelated cards (known as kickers) comes into play. The player with the highest kicker wins the hand. In certain poker variations, such as Texas Hold'em, community cards are used, allowing players to make their best possible hand using any combination of their own hole cards (personal cards) and the community cards.
