Villain stats: 87 Hands Recorded/ VP 23/ PFR 14/ 3B 3/ CB 0/FCB 63

Merge - $0.04 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

MP: $3.94
MP+1: $4.54
CO: $4.36
BTN: $1.08
Hero (SB): $4.54
BB: $1.20
UTG: $4.16
UTG+1: $4.70

Hero posts SB $0.02, BB posts BB $0.04

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.06) Hero has 8 8

fold, fold, fold, MP+1 calls $0.04, fold, fold, Hero raises to $0.12, fold, MP+1 calls $0.08

Flop: ($0.28, 2 players) 8 Q 3
Hero bets $0.18, MP+1 calls $0.18

Turn: ($0.64, 2 players) 7
Hero bets $0.42, fold

Hero wins $0.61


So, I get into a lot of positions like this when I am set mining and I run into my set and the board is relatively dry. I find it is usually hard to get paid off when you hit your set. I am not sure if I am playing the hands right to extract the maximum value from the villains. I understand that the reason set mining is +EV is because of implied odds, but if I rarely get paid off for them maybe I should stop trying with pairs below 99 or so. I have thought that maybe I should be slow playing them on dry boards, but I have read countless times that I should basically never slow play in the micros. Tell me how you guys would optimally play this hand and other hands like it, such as one with no draws instead of the 2 hearts on the flop. Thanks.

First, bet more PF, you found yourself against 1 limper and you just raised to 3BB, you can easily raise to 4-5BB in situations like that(also this makes easier to stack them when you hit your set too, since they're leaving a few chips behind).

Flop bet sizing and turn were ok, and you should continue betting like that, don't try to get tricky and check-raising with your trips while you're the aggressor.
The only situation you must check-raise with a set is when you're not the aggressor.

hand was fine, your only leak was the PF sizing, villain must have folded because he had nothing, since turn card wasn't a scary card.

Thank you for the response. If I were in EP would a 3BB opening bet be reasonable when set mining? Same question regarding IP with no limpers, say you are in the CO or Button and you want to set mine would a 3BB bet here be fine?

yeah, 3BB is fine, but i prefer to use a 4BB+1BB per limper in these lower stakes, they usually call with worse, so it's fine.

on EP you can do 3BB, but making a 4BB standard isn't bad.

Also low PPs such as 22-66 can be limped when you're on UTG, making it cheaper if someone has KK or AA and want to 3-bet you.

Seems like solid advice I'll give it all a try at the tables, thanks for the quick responses.

I agree Rapidesh123. Make it 3x or 4x, plus 1x for any additional limper.
And from my experience - don't get fancy when you hit your set - in other words, don't slowplay. Bet strong because players at micros (especially fishes) will call with any made hand or has any kind of potential (FD, SD, gutshot,...). Yes, flop is dry but there is FD, so charge him max!

Check out some of my threads, they have a few hand history's showing how I play sets.

I usually call the flop, call the turn and then normally call the river too.

Seems like the hard part of set mining is not hitting the set with the 1 out of 8.5 odds, it is the odds that you hit your set PLUS villain has hit a strong enough hand to continue calling your bets (or optimally re-raising you with worse). I guess that is why you need such high implied odds to properly set mine.

Exactly, that is why I like to play my sets super passively in order to keep my villain's weak hands in. I don't want them to fold too easily. So long as I win about 40bb or so off them, then I'm pretty happy! :-)

Here is a hand I've just played against a 14/11 reg, that is very tight in EP:

PokerStars - $0.25 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

MP: $47.49
MP+1: $10.74
CO: $61.86
BTN: $25.00
SB: $97.83
BB: $25.40
UTG: $30.58
Hero (UTG+1): $27.20

SB posts SB $0.10, BB posts BB $0.25

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero has 9 9

UTG raises to $0.75, Hero calls $0.75, fold, fold, fold, fold, SB calls $0.65, fold

Flop: ($2.50, 3 players) Q 3 9
SB checks, UTG bets $1.80, Hero calls $1.80, fold

Turn: ($6.10, 2 players) K
UTG bets $4.00, Hero calls $4.00

River: ($14.10, 2 players) 7
UTG bets $8.00, Hero calls $8.00

UTG shows K K (Three of a Kind, Kings) (Pre 81%, Flop 11%, Turn 98%)
Hero mucks 9 9 (Three of a Kind, Nines) (Pre 19%, Flop 89%, Turn 2%)
UTG wins $28.75

I wasn't exactly loving calling the river, but it had to be done.

And I've just played these two hands as well:

Hand 1

PokerStars - $0.25 NL - Holdem - 7 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

BB: $59.95
UTG: $19.71
UTG+1: $88.76
MP: $87.51
CO: $43.46
BTN: $53.55
Hero (SB): $25.00

Hero posts SB $0.10, BB posts BB $0.25

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero has J J

fold, fold, MP raises to $0.62, CO calls $0.62, fold, Hero calls $0.52, fold

Flop: ($2.11, 3 players) 6 8 J
Hero checks, MP checks, CO checks

Turn: ($2.11, 3 players) 2
Hero checks, MP bets $1.80, CO calls $1.80, Hero raises to $7.50, MP raises to $13.20, fold, Hero raises to $19.00, MP raises to $24.80, Hero calls $5.38 and is all-in

River: ($52.67, 2 players) A

Hero shows J J (Three of a Kind, Jacks) (Pre 82%, Flop 100%, Turn 98%)
MP shows 2 2 (Three of a Kind, Twos) (Pre 18%, Flop 0%, Turn 2%)
Hero wins $50.67

Hand 2

PokerStars - $0.25 NL - Holdem - 7 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

Hero (CO): $30.89
BTN: $11.19
SB: $22.82
BB: $10.55
UTG: $25.25
UTG+1: $13.59
MP: $25.00

SB posts SB $0.10, BB posts BB $0.25

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero has 6 6

UTG calls $0.25, fold, MP raises to $0.75, Hero calls $0.75, fold, fold, fold, UTG calls $0.50

Flop: ($2.60, 3 players) 7 J 6
UTG checks, MP bets $1.75, Hero calls $1.75, UTG calls $1.75

Turn: ($7.85, 3 players) 7
UTG checks, MP bets $4.20, Hero calls $4.20, fold

River: ($16.25, 2 players) Q
MP bets $5.25, Hero calls $5.25

MP shows J J (Full House, Jacks full of Sevens) (Pre 81%, Flop 96%, Turn 98%)
Hero mucks 6 6 (Full House, Sixes full of Sevens) (Pre 19%, Flop 4%, Turn 2%)
MP wins $25.55


They're both pretty standard hands at full ring, both against tight regular players that don't stack off light.

My winnings were maximised in hand 1 which was pretty cool, (and I actually hit the raise button for once!), and my losses were minimised in hand 2. :-)

*In hand 2 it's pretty sick that I can't raise a 30% pot sized bet on the river with a full house. It's too small for me to fold to though, as the villain could be trying to extract a little bit more value out of AA, KK or QQ.

You've also got to watch out for when your own over pair has been set-mined and be prepared to get out of the way!

PokerStars - $0.25 NL - Holdem - 7 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

SB: $28.20
BB: $30.32
UTG: $3.54
UTG+1: $36.82
MP: $25.00
CO: $26.03
Hero (BTN): $25.00

SB posts SB $0.10, BB posts BB $0.25

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero has K K

fold, fold, MP raises to $0.75, CO calls $0.75, Hero calls $0.75, fold, fold

Flop: ($2.60, 3 players) 5 Q 4
MP bets $1.75, fold, Hero calls $1.75

Turn: ($6.10, 2 players) 9
MP bets $4.00, fold

MP wins $5.83

Another troll hand?

Nope, another good fold hand.

I put the villain on QQ, 99, AA and maybe 55, Q9s and KK when he bets the turn so I have to fold which kind of sucks because I have a good hand.

dude can you seriously fk off? it's bad enough that you bombard SOMEONE ELSE'S thread with your drivel, but with hands that are just so disgustingly bad? man...