Does a Full House Beat Four of a Kind in Poker?

When it comes to poker, there are a lot of different hands that players can be dealt. Some hands are stronger than others, and some beats others. Does a full house beat four of a kind?

We’re going to take a look at whether or not a full house beats four of a kind. There is no definitive answer to the question “Does a full house beat four of a kind?”

However, there are several reasons why many people believe that this is possible.

What is a full house?

does a full house beat four of a kind

According to the poker hand rankings chart, a full house is ranked four among the strongest poker hands. This hand consists of three-of-a-kind plus a pair.

With a full house, you are holding two poker hands: a pair and a three-of-a-kind.

The best full house is composed of three aces and a pair of kings. This beats all other full house hands on the table.

Here are some examples of a full house.

does a full house beat four of a kind

JJJAA

KKKQQ

QQQ77

Remember that the suits don’t matter (hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs) but the rank or denomination.

The three-of-a-kind is always considered before the pair in full house hand. The pair is often called the kicker.

How to rank a full house hand

Did you know that there are 3,744 possible full house hand combinations in a 52-card deck? And there are 156 distinct ranks of full house you can compile.

Remember that the triple in a full house is the most important in determining the strength of your full house.

Three aces will beat three kings, which will beat three queens, which will beat three jacks.

Compare these two full house hands:

KKK55 versus QQQAA

We know that three kings will beat three queens, regardless of the kicker. So yes, aces trump fives, but not when you have a triple king against a triple queen.

Does a full house beat four of a kind?

A full house sits at number four on the poker hand ranking chart. This is still a strong hand to form in poker. A straight flush and four-of-a-kind are more powerful than a full house.

In Texas Hold’em poker, a full house is rarely beaten at the river.

Five poker hands rank lower than a full house: a flush, a straight, a three-of-a-kind, a two pair, and a pair.

An ace-high flush is the best flush you can make. While all suits are equal in the valuation of different flush hands, it is the rank or denomination that will determine the best flush.

What are the odds of making a full house?

Let’s look at the preflop stage, the turn, and the river and how your probabilities change depending on the stage of the game.

does a full house beat four of a kind

Odds of making a full house in Texas Hold’em

The pre-flop stage

  • Probability of 0.14%
  • 5 randomly drawn cards from 52 cards

The flop

  • Probability of 0.09%
  • If you have a three-of-a-kind and a pocket pair

The turn

  • Probability of 12.77%
  • Based on the flop

The river

  • Probability of 19.57%
  • Based upon a Set on Turn

Odds of making a full house in Omaha

The pre-flop stage

  • Probability of 0.14%
  • 5 randomly drawn cards from 52 cards

The flop

  • Probability of 0.65 percent
  • If you have three-of-a-kind

The turn

  • Probability of 13.33%
  • If you have three-of-a-kind

The river

  • Probability of 20.45%
  • If you have three-of-a-kind

Conclusion

So, does a full house beat four of a kind? It will not. However, there are several reasons why many people believe that a full house is a better hand than four-of-a-kind in poker games.

In general, the full house has more chances to win than four-of-a-kind, and it is also worth more points. Click To Tweet

Additionally, it is generally easier to make a full house than four-of-a-kind, so you have more chances of winning.