At the table you'll hear “I hit a set” or “I've only got top pair”. These are names to describe how strong your pair or set is relative to the board. Here's the vocabulary.
Pairs, from strongest to weakest
A♠
A♦
K♠
K♣
7♥
2♣
- •Set: you have a pair in your hand and hit the third one on the board (KK + a K on the table). Very strong and disguised.
- •Overpair: your pair is higher than every card on the board (you have QQ and the board is J-7-2).
- •Top pair: you pair the highest card on the board (you have AK on a K-8-3 board).
- •Middle / bottom pair: you pair a middle card or the lowest one. Marginal hands.
💡 The set is one of the best hands for winning big pots: no one sees it coming and almost nothing beats it. Top pair is good but not for shoving all your chips in lightly.
🎓 Review the hand rankings→