Poker is a timeless game that has been played for centuries. It has evolved and changed over the years, but long-time fans of the game can still expect many iconic elements to peek through when playing online poker games. That said, these changes have given rise to a few questions, particularly when it comes to the odds of hitting specific hands like a full house.
A full house is a classic poker hand and among the strongest hands you can earn. With this article, we will explore the odds of hitting a full house in poker. If you want to know the odds of getting a full house, make sure you read our guide to learn more.
WHAT IS A FULL HOUSE?
A full house hand, or a full boat as it is known, is one of the most robust poker hands. It ranks the fourth-highest hand, only losing to a four-of-a-kind, straight flush and of course, the elusive royal flush.
Full houses consist of three cards of one rank, while two cards will belong to another rank. So, a full house could be a king of three different suits, such as king of hearts, king of spades and king of diamonds.
To determine the winner of two full house hands, the denomination will be crucial. A poker player that has three aces and two kings will have the best full house poker hand.
Being one of the higher-ranking hands in poker, full houses are not super common and can be a little difficult to hit. But we’ll break down the odds of getting a full house in poker here.
ODDS OF MAKING A FULL HOUSE OUT OF A 52-CARD DECK
In a classic game of poker, there are 2,598,560 unique five-card hands that can be dealt from a standard deck.
Since there are 13 sets of each type, we have to select any two kinds of it. So, when calculating the chances of drawing a full house using a mathematical formula, the result becomes 37 in 2,598,960.
Divide 3744 by 2,598,960, and there’s a 0.014% chance of getting a full house in poker.
THE ODDS OF GETTING A FULL HOUSE IN TEXAS HOLD’EM
Because there are so many new poker variants available online, the odds of earning full houses are not always the same from one variant to another. This is because different poker tables may feature different rules or additional bonuses and side bets that may ultimately affect the odds of drawing a hand like the full house.
In Texas Hold’em, the odds of getting a full house are more attainable as players can reveal their best five-card hand from seven cards. In this version of poker, you will have a 2.6% chance of landing a high card with one of the five cards dealt. In terms of poker odds, it equates to 35.7/1.
ODDS OF HITTING ON THE FLOP
As many poker players know, your hand will evolve as you enter different stages in the game. So, naturally, the odds of earning a full house may be affected by which phase of the game you’re in.
Hitting on the flop isn’t as rare as you might think. You can do so with a two pair which stands at 0.98%. A pocket pair hits on a flop once every 100 goes with each starting hand.
ODDS OF HITTING ON TURN
Once cards are dealt face-up, you will need two 10s or kings are needed to complete this hand, and there will be four in the deck. So, to work out hitting two community cards on the turn, it can be calculated as follows: 4/47 = 0.0851 or 8.5%.
ODDS OF HITTING ON RIVER
The probability increases in the later streets. So, on the river, the chance of getting two pairs can be calculated as follows: 4/46 = 0.087 or 8.7%. We need to subtract the odds of hitting a pair from 100, so in the river rounds, you will have a 16.5% chance at this stage of a poker game to land a full house.
IMPLIED ODDS OF FULL HOUSE
The odds of hitting a full house will depend on the relative strength of the hole cards. The face value of one card could determine what kind of hand you could produce.
FULL HOUSE TIPS
Hitting a full house isn’t easy, and sometimes you could use the extra help. If you follow these tips, you might be able to maximise your chances of winning the pot.
Bear in mind, however, that winning is never a guarantee. We can give you many trips and tricks that might improve your odds, but the house will always have an edge over the player.
- Flop a set. This can be achieved with a 9-9, and you can spring a surprise with unpaired hands on the turn. Having kings left later will work to your advantage.
- Be aggressive with your starting hand because if your opponent has a three-of-a-kind, you could be backed into a corner.
- Try using a poker strategy. Strategies help you make the best decisions depending on the hand you’ve drawn at the time. And one of the many great things about poker is that it involves some level of skill, so a strategy might just be the thing that turns the odds in your favour. Just remember that winning is never a guarantee.
- Practise in the demo mode. The demo offers free gameplay through virtual funds, so you can give a few poker tables a try without depleting your own bankroll.
FULL HOUSE STAGES PROBABILITY IN TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
- With any starting hand 0.14%
- Flopping with an unpaired hand 0.09%
- Landing with a pocket pair 0.98%
- Hitting on the turn or river rounds (16.5%)