| all the same | number | OR | all different | numbers | AND... |
| all the same | fill | OR | all different | fills | AND... |
| all the same | color | OR | all different | colors | AND... |
| all the same | shape | OR | all different | shapes |
different numbers, same fill, same color, same shape
different numbers, different fills, same color, same shape
same number, different fills, different colors, different shapes
different numbers, different fills, different colors, different shapes
NOT A SET - shapes are not all same or all different
The deck is 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81 cards, since there are 4 properties with 3 possibilities each:
| number | one | two | three |
| fill | hollow | striped | solid |
| color | red | green | blue |
| shape | rectangle | oval | diamond |
If you pick 2 cards from the deck, there is only 1 card that forms a set with them.
If 21 or more cards from the deck are laid out, there has to be a set.