What Is a Full House in Poker?

A full house is a very strong poker hand consisting of a three of a kind and a pair, i.e., three cards of the same ranking combined with two different cards of the same ranking.

This particular poker combination is sometimes also referred to as a boat or a full boat. In most cases, a full house will be a winning combination, but there are some exceptions.

Poker Hand	Explanation	Example
#1. Royal Flush	Five highest cards of the same suit	AcKcQcJcTc
#2. Straight Flush	Any five consecutive cards of the same suit	JcTc9c8c7c
#3. Four of a Kind	Four cards of the same rank	4c4s4d4hJc
#4. Full House	Three cards of one rank + two cards of another rank	3c3s3d7h7c
#5. Flush	Five cards of the same suit	KdJd7d5d3d
#6. Straight	Five consecutive cards in different suits	6s5s4d3d2h
#7. Three of a Kind	Three cards of the same rank	7c7h7d2hJ2
#8. Two Pairs	Two cards of one rank + two cards of another rank	QcQs2c2hJs
#9. One Pair	Two cards of the same rank	8h8sAcKs5d
#10. High Card	Any other hand	AcQdJs4h3c

Examples of a Full House Poker Hand

There are many different ways to make a full house in Texas Hold’em poker, but it will always be a hand containing one three of a kind combination plus a one-pair combination. The hand is named after its three-of-a-kind part, i.e.:

As Ah Ad Ks Kd – Aces full of Kings (the strongest possible full house)
Ks Kd Kc Js Jh – Kings full of Jacks
7s 7d 7h 2s 2d – Sevens full of Deuces
5c 5h 5d As Ah – Fives full of Aces

When comparing full houses, the three of a kind part is always used first to determine the winner. For example, Queens full of Deuces, beats Jacks full of Aces.

When two players have the same three of a kind combo in their full house hand, the second part (the pair) is compared, and whoever has the strongest pair wins. For example, Tens full of Sevens beats Tens full of Fives because Sevens are a stronger pair than Fives.

If two exactly the same full house hands are table at a showdown, players will split the pot, and suits of cards will not be considered to determine the winner.

What Beats Full House in Poker?

A full house is a very strong poker hand that beats all flush, straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, and high card combinations.

This is the fourth-strongest hand you can get in Texas Hold’em hand rankings and other high poker variations, losing only to Royal Flush, straight flush, and four of a kind (quads).

There are many instances where a full house is the absolute nuts, i.e., the best player can possibly have on a given board texture.

Full House Probabilities

The main reason why a full house is such a strong hand is that it’s not easy to come by. The odds of making a full house out of five random cards drawn from a deck of 52 cards are just 0.00144%.

In Texas Hold’em, these are your odds of making a full house on the flop with different starting hands.

Starting Hand	Odds
Any two cards	0.14%
Any unpaired hand	0.09%
Any pocket pair	0.98%

Here are a few more interesting and useful stats regarding a full house in poker:

The odds of flopping a full house or better when holding AKo are 0.1%
When you flop two pairs, your odds of improving to a full house by the river are 16.%
After flopping a set with a pocket pair, your odds of improving to a full house or quads by the river are 33.4%

How to Play a Full House in Poker

As one of the strongest poker hands, a full house will win you many big pots. However, not all full houses were created equal so you need to evaluate the best poker strategy in each situation.

When there is a three of a kind on the board, and you make a full house by pairing one of the remaining community cards, this hand can be susceptible to quads and stronger full houses (depending on the board texture). Consider all the circumstances of the hand before losing all your chips on the account that you have a full house and should thus go broke.

Conversely, a full house made with a pocket pair can be very powerful, especially if it is the best possible full house. In this instance, your opponents will sometimes have a three-of-a-kind or even a lower full house, which will allow you to extract a lot of value from your hand.

FAQ

What is a full house hand in poker?

A full house is a poker hand made of a three of a kind and a pair combination. In other words, this is a five-card hand consisting of three cards of the same ranking and two (different) cards of the same ranking.

What beats a full house?

The Full House only loses only to four of a kind, straight flush, and Royal Flush.

What does a full house beat?

A full house is the fourth-strongest hand you can have in Texas Hold’em. It beats a flush and all hands below it in the hierarchy of hands, namely straight, three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, and high card.

How often will you make a full house?

The odds of making a full house out of five random cards from the deck are 0.00144%. In Texas Hold’em specifically, starting with any two cards, you’ll flop a full house about 0.14% of the time, while when starting with a pair, you’ll make a boat on the flop about 0.98%.

What happens when two players have a full house?

When comparing full houses, the player with the higher three of a kind combination wins. If two players have the same three of a kind combo, the second part of a full house (pair) is compared, and whoever has the higher pair wins.