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Does a 2 pair beat a 3 of a kind in Texas Holdem?

Both three-of-a-kind and two pair are often winners in games that use the standard poker hand rankings (such as Texas Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, and Five Card Draw). But does three-of-a-kind beat two pair? The simple answer is: yes, three-of-a-kind-does beat two pair in poker.

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Knowing all of the five card poker hands in order is crucial for newcomers to the game, which is probably why the question “does three of a kind beat two pair” is often asked by beginners. Both three-of-a-kind and two pair are often winners in games that use the standard poker hand rankings (such as Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, and Five Card Draw).

But does three-of-a-kind beat two pair?

The simple answer is: yes, three-of-a-kind-does beat two pair in poker.

Now that you have the answer, let me explain why three-of-a-kind beats two pair.

Why Does Three-of-a-Kind Beat Two Pair?

If we draw five random cards from a standard 52-card poker deck, three-of-a-kind occurs less often than two pair. So, because it’s mathematically harder to make three-of-a-kind, a three-of-a-kind hand wins against two pair.

The Math Behind Three-of-a-Kind

There are 858 distinct ways to make three-of-a-kind out of a 52-card deck. An example of a distinct three-of-a-kind hand includes KKK97. Distinct hands refer to the cards in the hand without taking suits into account. The four suits (♠,♦,♣, and ♥), in different combinations, give us 64 possible ways to make KKK97. (Note that the two extra cards in the hand have to be unpaired for this combination to qualify as three-of-a-kind. If they’re paired, like K♥ K♦ K♣ 9♣ 9♠, the hand ranks as a full house.) With 858 distinct three-of-kind hands possible, multiplied by 64 possible suit combinations, a 52-card deck yields 54,912 possible ways to draw three-of-a-kind.

The Math Behind Two Pair

A standard poker deck produces 858 distinct ways to make two pair. That number is exactly the same as the distinct count of three-of-a-kind hands. Factoring in suits, however, makes two pair a more commonly occurring hand.

Let’s take a look at a hand that qualifies as two pair:

The above hand qualifies as two pair, tens and eights.

For example, our above example of TT886 can be drawn 144 different ways. The 144 different ways to make a two pair hand, multiplied by 858 distinct hands, gives us 123,552 possible ways to make two pair. In Texas Hold’em, players have a 23.5% chance of making two pair with all five community cards on the board. Three-of-a-kind, with its 4.83% frequency, is a far less common hand.

Quiz Your Poker Hand Knowledge

Cement your understanding of the order of poker hands with this quiz below! If you play Texas Hold’em and want a free guide that shows you exactly which starting hands to play, click the banner below.

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Signs of Strangulation Ear- petechiae (external and/or ear canal), bleeding from ear canal. Nose- bloody nose, broken nose, petechiae. Neck- redness, scratch marks, fingernail impressions, bruise(s), abrasions, swelling, ligature marks.

Sober and conscious victims of strangulation will first feel terror and severe pain. lf strangulation persists, unconsciousness will follow. Before lapsing into unconsciousness, a strangulation victim will usually resist violently, often producing injuries of their own neck in an effort to claw off the assailant, and frequently also producing injury on the face or hands to their assailant. These defensive injuries may not be present if the victim is physically or chemically restrained before the assault.

Observing Changes

Documentation by photographs sequentially for a period of days after the assault is very helpful in establishing a journal of physical evidence. Victims should also seek medical attention if they experience difficulty breathing, speaking, swallowing or experience nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, headache, involuntary urination and/or defecation, especially pregnant victims. A medical evaluation may be crucial in detecting internal injuries and saving a life.

Losing Consciousness

Victims may lose consciousness by any one or all of the following methods: blocking of the carotid arteries in the neck (depriving the brain of oxygen), blocking of the jugular veins (preventing deoxygenated blood from exiting the brain), and closing off the airway, making breathing impossible.

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