Mining poker: set your opponents up for disaster

Winning big in poker isn’t always about the fundamentals of the game, so adding some special moves to your arsenal could be the crucial difference between winning a modest pot and striking gold! Set mining is perhaps the most simple of these special moves to master: follow these simple steps and you could win big.

What is set mining poker?

Set mining is the practice of putting into play pocket-pairs for the rationale of hitting a set and is only applicable to small pairs, not Kings and Queens. Flopping with a pocket pair can be an extremely useful and powerful hand, as it is disguised well, it is rarely suspected by opponents and has the potential to win big pots for a minimal amount of risk. Set mining provides minimal risk for potentially big rewards, which makes it one of the most desirable and straight-forward techniques to strike gold.

Mastering set mining poker:

The key to succeeding in set mining is understanding that pocket pairs are not all that frequent: for example, you should expect a pocket pair every two orbits. Set mining poker is therefore only used once every two orbits, proving again that it is a low risk strategy for high potential gain.

In the event that you get a pocket pair, there is an 11.8% chance that you will flop at least a set and so for set mining a flop is going to be good for you once every 8 times. Although a set mining strategy cannot be used frequently, it is well worth adding to your poker repertoire. It is precisely the fact that flopping sets doesn’t happen so often, that this technique, if applied properly, can be such a lucrative business.

As there are such low odds of flopping a set, it is crucial that you master the concept of ‘implied odds’, which means you take into account money that is not yet in the pot but is likely to be. Having a grasp of implied odds is the single most important skill to master, in order to succeed through set mining poker. The implied odds are a result of the strength of your opponents’ hand range and the amount of money that is left behind for post-flop. The more money there is left behind for post flop, the less often you have to stack your opponent for it to be profitable.

In other words, the more money left behind for post flop, the more profitable it is for set mining poker.

Set mining works best when you’re in position and can call pre-flop with your pocket pairs and has the potential to strike gold against a whole range of hands, be that premium pocket pairs or any other potentially winning hand. Set mining poker also works well against a particular type of opponent: loose and aggressive competitors who are more likely to put money in the pot with a wider range.

Set mining poker: reaping the rewards in the Post flop:

The key to succeeding in set mining is flopping that all important set, based on the implied odds. This then gives you all three post flop avenues to build a big pot and reap the rewards that you have set up. For example, if you miss the flop, there is only about a 4% chance that the turn is going to give you your set and equally if you miss the turn, the same odds are applied that the river will bring you your set.

Flopping your set and the post flop strategy that you pursue is thus integral. If you do hit your set, you need to think about your opponent’s likely hands and build the pot on this basis. Without a strong enough post flop strategy, you will not receive the benefits and big rewards that can be yielded from set mining poker.

Low risk, High reward:

Set mining is a great way to win big, whilst risking very little. Provided you are deep- stacked and follow the integral concept of implied odds, anyone using this technique can win big today!