I know the odds of set-over-set happening are around 1%. Still, when I flop bottom set on a board with no possibility of a made straight or flush, go for the check-raise, and get 3B, it seems like the odds of being in that situation go up dramatically. Can anyone here ever get away from bottom set in that situation?

Likewise, when I flop top two on a board with no made straights or flushes possible, and get check-raised, my first thought is always "this is bottom set, it has to be." Even in spots where my opponents don't have very many logical bluffs, I find it very hard not to go broke in these spots. Can anyone ever get away from top two when there's no straights or flushes possible?

It feels like these situations are harder to navigate when we flop a set or top 2, and easier when we make our hand on the turn or river. Why is that? Why does it seem like I lose more often when I flop bottom or middle set or top two but win more often when I turn bottom set or even top and bottom or bottom two pair?

The best way to play your sets is to play them as if your opponent doesn't have a set. You'll win more often than you lose even though your memory will mislead you.

I have heard this bit of poker wisdom and it rings true: If you lose a small pot with a set, you probably played it wrong. You should be looking to build a pot when you flop a set. You will win much more often than you lose. In the long run it will be profitable even though you will sometimes get coolered

Go into Poker Tracker 4 and check how profitable your sets are for you. If they're profitable keep milking the cow and if they're not look at other statistics. Are you playing HUs with a set? Cause I know their value starts diminish the more that are in a pot. Top two, well check the same ...

I find straights to be my most profitable hands outside of the Stellar Hands like Quads/Flushes.

In your game type, BI amount, site you'll find different truths. IF they're not profitable maybe play them different, adapt to the pool! Good luck at the tables and Have fun : )

My first question was really - when we x/r flop with bottom or middle set, and get 3B, are we ever folding, or are we just going broke in a set over set scenario? What are opponents 3B'ing over a flop x/r on a dry, disconnected board with no possibility of a made hand nor any massive combo draw, and few if any obvious 2P combos??

My second question was really - when we c-bet after we flop top 2 and get x/r'd on the same board (no straight or flush possible, no massive combo draws, unlikely there's a worse 2P), can we ever fold?

Generally, I don't have a problem getting value when I flop a set. That's not the challenge. It's getting away from set-over-set situations after we x/r and get 3B, or set-over-top 2 situations when we c-bet and get x/r'd.

Just to help a little.

1. Dont fold sets
2. Stop trying to find ways to fold sets
3. Dont fold sets

I think you’re missing the point of what the general consensus here is. When you flop a set you aren’t supposed to be getting away from set over set spots. You are supposed to just get stacked on the rare occasions that happens. If you try to fold when you think it might be a set over set spot, you will end up folding a winning hand too often, and it is more profitable to just take the cooler when the set over set happens. Not to mention: it should just as often be the case that you are on the winning side of things when set over set occurs, so it really should even out in the long run.

Nice. Thanks for the laugh!

I don't necessarily think I was missing the point. I was asking about a specific scenario, in which we x/r flop with bottom or middle set, and get 3B, when the board makes it impossible for our opponent to have a flopped straight or flush, and it's unlikely he has two pair.

In that scenario, it seems very likely that we're looking at a higher set, yet, as the discussion clearly shows, it's generally viewed as terrible to fold sets.

Similarly, when we raise pre from LP, flop top 2 on similar boards, like KJ2 rb, c-bet, and get x/r'd by the BB, it's very likely we're up against bottom set.

I don't see it as all that different than any other situation in which we have the 2nd or 3rd nuts and get raised. Is it just mandatory that we go broke in these spots, to avoid being exploitable?