What is Set Mining ?
Set mining is a poker term used when you call a raise in preflop with a small or medium pocket pair (22,33,44…..TT) with the hope of hitting a set (three of a kind) on the flop and win a big pot.
When you should Set Mining?
Set Mining is very profitable if you imply the correct odds. It is extremely important to know your opponent’s stack size when you are set mining. If they do not have enough stack behind then you simply do not have the correct odds to call on preflop. This is because you are only going to flop a set with roughly 7.5-1 time or 12% only. This means that you will only hit a set once in every 7.5 times. This doesn’t sound good right? This also means that most of the time you call a raise in preflop with your pocket pair, you are just going to fold on flop. That is the reason why you need to have large potential payoff when you are set mining. Your opponent need to have at least 15-1 odds on their stack size. This means that your opponent need to have at least 15x the amount that you need to call in his stack. For instance, if preflop bet is $10, then your opponent need to have at least $150 in his stakes in order for you to call.
3 Tips on Set Mining
1. You need to be in position when you are Set Mining
As mentioned earlier, position in poker is extremely important. If you are planning to set mining, then you need to be in good position. Remember that the more players there are behind you, the stronger your pocket need to be. You definitely do not want to get squeezed out when player behind you 3-bet with a strong hand and you are forced to fold without seeing the flop. This definitely will waste your money. Remember that you can call more pocket pairs if players behind you are weak, or unlikely to 3-bet or if there are only few players behind you. If you are out of position at the table then you will definitely need your opponent to have higher stacks before consider calling preflop.
2. Take into consideration the 3-bet sizing before Set Mining
Normally the 3-betting standard size is about 3x when you are in position. Let’s say if your opponent 3-bet to a larger size like 5x, then you should set mining less often. If your opponent 3-bet sizing is smaller then you should set mining more often. This is because the 3-bet sizing will affect your pot odds and stack to pot ratio. If your opponent squeeze 3-bet to 5x or larger then you should have JJ or better hands to call his 3 bet. Therefore, if you know your opponent betting range, it will make it easier for you to know if you should call your pocket pairs or no.
3. Set Mining is more profitable when there is recreational player
This is because recreational players are well known to call you down with any pair and any draw. They won’t let go easily if they hit something on the board. Therefore, it will be more interesting when a recreational player cold calls in big blind. In other words, your set mining can be very profitable if recreational player hit a pair on the flop and you know he/she is never going to fold for you. This is because set mining is not easy to aware of and if he/she hit pair on the flop, he/she will not fold for you easily.
Conclusion
In poker, there is very few things like black and white, and the answer is ‘it depends’. Therefore, above article is just some simple tips. Hope this is helpful for you ! Good Luck ! Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. contact us
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