Playing full houses: how to win the most with a boat

A full house (or boat) is three of a kind plus a pair, like 9-9-9-4-4. It beats straights and flushes and loses only to bigger full houses, four of a kind and straight flushes. But not all full houses are equal. See hand rankings.

Top full house vs bottom full house

On a board K-9-9:

You hold K-9: nines full of kings — a strong full house.
You hold K-K: kings full of nines — the top full house.
You hold 4-4 and the board runs K-9-9-4: fours full of nines — weaker. Anyone holding a 9 with a K, or K-K, beats you.

The lower your three of a kind, the more full houses beat you.

How to play a strong full house

Bet for value — opponents with trips, flushes or straights will often pay. See getting paid with monsters.
On paired boards, many opponents have little; use small to medium bets to keep them in. See paired boards.
Against aggressive players, a check can induce a bet.

When to be careful

Double-paired boards (K-K-9-9): anyone with a K or a 9 has a full house. Smaller full houses can lose big pots.
When the board shows three of a kind (9-9-9), any pair makes a full house — the bigger pair wins.
Big raises from tight players on boards where a bigger full house is possible.

Example

Board Q-Q-7-7-3. You hold 7-3: sevens full of queens. An opponent with Q-x has queens full of sevens and beats you. Don’t put your whole stack in against heavy action.

See also the nuts and bad beats and coolers.

FAQ

What is a full house in poker?

Three of a kind plus a pair, like 9-9-9-4-4.

What beats a full house?

A bigger full house, four of a kind, a straight flush and a royal flush.

Are all full houses equally strong?

No. The rank of the three of a kind decides; lower full houses can lose to bigger ones.

How should I bet a full house on a paired board?

Often small to medium, because many opponents have little and need cheap prices to continue.