Set mining
Calling a raise with a small or medium pocket pair purely hoping to flop a set (three of a kind), which happens about 12% of the time. It relies on implied odds, so it needs deep stacks and an opponent who will pay off.
Frequently asked questions
What is set mining in poker?
Calling a preflop raise with a small or medium pocket pair with the plan of folding unless you flop a set. The hand's value is almost entirely in the roughly 12% of flops that hit.
What stack depth does set mining need?
A lot. Because you miss seven times out of eight, the hands that connect have to pay for the ones that do not — the old guideline is needing to win something like ten to twenty times the call. Shallow stacks make the play unprofitable regardless of the odds on the flop.
When is set mining a mistake?
With short stacks, against opponents who fold whenever you show strength, and on boards where a set is still beatable. It also fails against players who will not pay you off — the implied odds are the whole play, and they only exist if the money actually arrives.