Full House
A full house is a five-card hand that has three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. It beats a flush and loses to four of a kind. It is also called a boat.
The simple explanation
For example, three kings and two fours form a full house, called kings full of fours. When two players have a full house, the player with the higher three of a kind wins, and the pair only matters if the three of a kind is the same.
A closer look
In Hold'em, a full house needs a pair on the board or a pocket pair that hits a set and another pair. The danger is that a full house can lose to a bigger full house, and sometimes to four of a kind. When the board is paired, play carefully with trips: you may be up against a full house, so the value of your hand is lower than it looks. The kicker never matters, because a full house uses all five cards.
A practical example
You hold Q♥ Q♦ and the flop is Q♣ 7♠ 7♦. You have queens full of sevens.
Full explanation
A full house is a five-card hand that has three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. It beats a flush and loses to four of a kind. It is also called a boat.
A full house is three cards of one rank and two of another. It is one of the strongest hands in poker.
It ranks above a flush and below four of a kind.
Compare full houses by the three of a kind first and then by the pair.
Players also call it a boat or a full boat.
Alternative spelling: fullhouse, full-house
A full house
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB QQueen of hearts (Qh)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB QQueen of hearts (Qh)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB QQueen of hearts (Qh)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B holds a pair of queens, and the flop brings a third queen and a pair of sevens. Three queens and two sevens are a full house.
Board: QQueen of clubs (Qc)77 of spades (7s)77 of diamonds (7d)
- Player A BTN / SB AAce of clubs (Ac)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB QQueen of hearts (Qh)QQueen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.