Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and luck. Among the many hand combinations you can get in poker, a full house is one of the strongest. If you want to play poker successfully, understanding the full house is essential. In this guide, we’ll break down what a full house is, how to play with it, and some tips to maximize your chances of winning.
What is Full House Poker?
A full house is a poker hand consisting of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, having three kings and two tens (K♠ K♣ K♦ 10♠ 10♦) is a full house. It’s a strong hand in most poker variations, such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or Seven Card Stud.
Full House Ranking
A full house is ranked by the value of the three-of-a-kind part. The higher the three-of-a-kind, the stronger the hand. For example:
- A full house with aces (A♠ A♣ A♦ 8♠ 8♦) beats a full house with kings (K♠ K♣ K♦ 7♠ 7♦).
In case two players have the same three-of-a-kind, the hand with the higher pair wins. For example:
- A♠ A♣ A♦ 10♠ 10♦ beats A♠ A♣ A♦ 9♠ 9♦.
How to Get a Full House
You can form a full house in any poker game with a five-card hand. A full house is made from community cards in Texas Hold’em or Omaha, or from the five dealt cards in Seven Card Stud. Here’s how you might get a full house:
- Texas Hold’em: You use the two hole cards and five community cards. You can make a full house if the community cards include a pair and a three-of-a-kind, or if your hole cards help form a full house with the community cards.
Example:
- Your hand: K♠ Q♠
- Community cards: K♦ K♣ 5♠ 5♣ 3♥
- Your hand: Full house (Kings over Fives)
- Omaha: In Omaha, you must use exactly two of your hole cards along with three community cards. It’s the same concept as Texas Hold’em, but you’re given four hole cards.
- Seven Card Stud: In Stud, you receive seven cards, three face-down and four face-up. You’ll need to use a combination of those cards to make the strongest hand possible, including a full house.
Strategies for Playing a Full House
A full house is a strong hand, but like all poker hands, how you play it depends on the situation. Here are strategies you can use to make the most out of your full house.
When You Have a Full House
- Bet Aggressively
- If you have a full house, especially with a higher three-of-a-kind (like Aces or Kings), don’t be afraid to bet aggressively. Raise or even go all-in to build the pot.
- Example: If you have A♠ A♣ A♦ 10♠ 10♦, raise the pot to increase the value. Players with lower hands may fold, but players with weaker full houses or pairs may stay in the game, letting you win a bigger pot.
- Control the Pot Size
- If you have a lower full house, such as 3♠ 3♣ 5♦ 5♠ 7♦, you might not want to bet too aggressively. While it’s still a strong hand, there’s a risk that someone else might have a higher full house.
- Example: In this situation, bet smaller amounts to avoid scaring off weaker hands, but still get value from your hand.
- Watch for Straight or Flush Potential
- Be cautious if the community cards show straight or flush possibilities. Even with a full house, you could lose if another player completes a straight or flush.
- Example: If the board shows 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ K♦ Q♣, and you have 3♠ 3♣ 7♦ 7♥ 2♠, there’s a flush possibility. You might need to slow down your betting and observe other players closely.
When You Don’t Have a Full House
- Avoid Getting Trapped
- If you don’t have a full house but your opponents do, be cautious. Don’t bet too heavily into a hand where you know you’re beaten.
- Example: If the community cards show Q♠ Q♦ 8♠ 8♣ and you don’t have a pair of 8s or 10s, you should consider folding your weaker hands, such as a single pair of Jacks or lower.
- Bluffing for Value
- If you have a weak hand but the board is favorable for a full house, you might try bluffing. However, this strategy should be used sparingly and with caution. Make sure your bluff seems plausible based on the community cards.
Full House vs Other Hands
Understanding how a full house stacks up against other hands is key to maximizing your winning potential. Here’s a look at how a full house compares to other common hands in poker.
Full House vs. Four of a Kind
- Four of a kind (also called “quads”) beats a full house. Four of a kind is stronger because it’s rarer and harder to get.
- Example: 4♠ 4♦ 4♣ 4♥ 10♠ is stronger than A♠ A♣ A♦ 10♠ 10♦.
Full House vs. Straight
- A straight is five consecutive cards of any suit, while a full house is made up of three of one rank and two of another rank. A full house beats a straight.
- Example: 9♠ 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ (Straight) loses to A♠ A♣ A♦ 10♠ 10♦ (Full House).
Full House vs. Flush
- A flush is five cards of the same suit, but not in a sequence. A full house beats a flush because three-of-a-kind plus a pair is more valuable than five suited cards that don’t form a sequence.
- Example: A♠ A♣ A♦ 10♠ 10♦ beats Q♠ J♠ 7♠ 4♠ 2♠.
Full House vs. Three of a Kind
- Three of a kind is weaker than a full house. It only consists of three cards of the same rank, without a pair.
- Example: K♠ K♣ K♦ 5♠ 5♦ (Full House) beats K♠ K♣ K♦ 8♠ 9♦ (Three of a Kind).
Full House Poker Odds
The odds of getting a full house in a five-card hand are about 0.1441%, or roughly 1 in 694 hands. While this hand isn’t common, it’s certainly strong and can make the difference between winning and losing a big pot.
If you’re playing Texas Hold’em, the odds of making a full house on the river with your hole cards and community cards depend on the situation, but you can improve your odds by being selective with your starting hands and playing aggressively when the situation warrants.
Key Takeaways
- A full house is a hand made up of three cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank.
- Bet aggressively when you have a strong full house and control the pot size when you have a weaker one.
- Be cautious of flushes and straights on the board when holding a full house.
- Fold weaker hands when you’re up against players who could have a better full house.
- Understanding when to bet, raise, and fold can make you a much more effective poker player.