A full boat, commonly called a full house, is a five-card hand containing three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. It’s one of poker’s strongest hands, ranking above a flush but below four of a kind.
The term full boat is less common than full house in modern poker, but older players and literature still use it. The hand requires hitting specific cards and is often the result of flopping sets and making trips into a stronger holding on later streets.
How Strong Is Full Boat?
A full boat ranks sixth in hand strength. In Texas Hold’em, approximately 0.1% of five-card combinations make a full house. Only four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush beat it. Most poker situations where you hold a full boat, you’re facing either another full boat (where kickers matter), four of a kind (you lose), or lower hands (you win).
Full Boat vs Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is stronger than a full boat. A full boat is stronger than a flush. Full boat hand strength depends on kickers. The three of a kind component must use your highest cards for maximum value.
Key Facts
* Examples: AAA-KK, 777-22, or JJJ-55 are all full boats.
* Trips (three of a kind) on the flop that improves to a full boat on turn or river becomes very valuable.
* When multiple players hold full boats, the higher three of a kind wins; if tied, the higher pair wins.
Hear It at the Table
“Full boat, boat over boat” describing which three of a kind and pair combination the hand contains.
Key Takeaway
A full boat is an extremely strong holding that wins most pots. When you make a full boat, you’re typically ahead of everything except four of a kind, so extracting maximum value is your primary goal.
