What Beats Three of a Kind in Poker?

What beats three-of-a-kind in Poker? Would you rather play Three of a Kind or Four of a Kind? This question has become a classic among poker players because it reveals something important about their game.

Poker is played using cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Each player receives five cards face down, four community cards (the dealer), and one card face up. The goal is to form the strongest possible hand.

There are two main types of hands in poker: Royal Flush and Straight Flush. If you have a royal flush, it means that you have at least five cards of the same suit. In contrast, a straight flush means that you have exactly five cards of the same rank.

How to Get Three-of-a-kind in Poker?

Three-of-a-kind in poker consists of three cards of the same rank, that is A – K. To get this type of hand, your best bet is to start with an ace high straight. You can then build off that by adding any other cards that improve your hand.

You can also use jacks as they could be used to make a jackpot straight. The best hands are straights and flushes.

For example, if you hold pocket eights, you would have a perfect 3 out of 8.

Pocket kings would give you a 2 out of 9. And pocket nines would give you a 1 out of 13!

What beats three-of-a-kind in Poker?

There are two highly valuable hands in poker: Royal Flush and Straight Flush. These hands are better than three of a kind. Let’s briefly explain them below.

Straight Flush

A straight is when all your cards match on the same row or column. For example, if you have a pair of tens, an ace, and a jack, you have a straight. A flush is formed by any combination of 5 cards with the same suit. Five 7s for instance would make a flush.

Royal Flush

If you are dealt a royal flush, there is no way you can beat it. You cannot even draw against this hand. However, if you are dealt a straight flush, then the odds are in your favor. There will be some small chance of winning against the other players.

Three-of-a-Kind may seem like a weak hand but it’s very strong. It means that you hold 3 cards each of different suits. Because you have three cards of the same suit, there is only one way to win against this hand. Unlike a royal flush, you do not need to deal yourself a royal flush to beat this hand.

This is why three-of-a-kind has been called “The weakest of poker hands.” But it is still considered extremely powerful and leads to wild and exciting games.

Bottom Line

Players need to understand that getting a three-of-a-kind is easy while a royal flush is rare. At the same time, it is crucial to know how to play a royal flush to defeat three-of-a kinds. Also, knowing which hand to choose over another should help you decide what type of hand to play.