Poker is an elaborate game of skill that requires a careful analysis of various hand rankings. Whether a full house beats a straight is a common question that often troubles the mind of new poker players at the tables. In poker, hand rankings are the cornerstone of the game based on which decisions are made and outcomes occur. 

All games of Poker, no matter the variation you play, are tied to their hand rankings. Players aim to achieve the best possible five-card hand ranking to beat their opponents and win the pot money. In this regard, Full House and Straight are both excellent poker hands and offer great winning chances. However, the former always beats the latter in terms of ranking and strength.

Here, we shall comprehend the value of these two unique poker hands and how they beat one another. 

What’s a Full House Hand?

A Full House is also sometimes called a Full Boat or Full Hand and enjoys its place among the top five hand rankings in Poker. It is the 4th highest poker hand and comes right below the strongest poker hands starting with:

  1. Royal Flush
  2. Straight Flush
  3. Four of a Kind
  4. Full House

A Full House consists of a Three of a Kind and a Pair. Here are a few examples.

  • A♥ A♣ A♠ 10♠ 10♣
  • 9♣ 9♥ Q♦ Q♠ Q♣
  • K♥ K♣ K♦ 3♥ 3♣

In the case when two or more players hit a full house poker hand in a poker game, the player with the highest three-of-a-kind wins the hand. If we assign the three hands shown above to player A, player B and player C respectively,  player A’s hand will beat the other players’ as his hand consists of the highest three of a Kind made of Aces. In case, two players have the same three of a kind, then the player with the highest pair beats the other.

What’s a Straight Poker Hand?

A Straight is the sixth-highest poker hand in the rankings chart in all poker games. It is made of five consecutive cards arranged in a sequence of different suits. Here’s where it stands in the hand rankings chart.

  1. Royal Flush
  2. Straight Flush
  3. Four of a Kind
  4. Full House
  5. Flush
  6. Straight

Here are a few examples of a Straight. 

  • A♦ 2♣ 3♥ 4♥ 5♦
  • J♥ 10♦ 9♣ 8♦ 7♠
  • K♦ Q♥ J♦ 10♣ 9♥

When two or more players hit a straight poker hand, the player with the higher straight beats the other. As such, if we take these three hands above into play, the third hand led by the King of diamonds will beat the two hands above. The hand with the Ace shall be the weakest of the three since Ace is considered as low in this hand. 

Now that we have established the distinct rankings of a Full House and a Straight, one can clearly deduce that a Full House beats a Straight in any game of Poker since the former sits two places above the latter.

Whether you play Texas Hold’em, Omaha or even OFC Poker, the strength of these poker hands shall remain the same. Here is the full list of  hand rankings in poker.

We hope this helps solve your troubles. Now you know what to do next time you hit one of these hands at the felts. See you at the tables!

Strategy