For poker enthusiasts, understanding the subtle nuances of hand rankings is paramount. A recurring point of contention, particularly among newcomers, revolves around the relative strength of a flush and a full house. Does a flush beat a full house, or is it the other way around? Let’s delve into the definitive answer and explore the reasoning behind it.
The Unambiguous Verdict: Full House Wins
In standard poker variations, including the widely popular Texas Hold’em and Omaha, a full house unequivocally outranks a flush. 
This rule is fundamental to the game’s structure and is rooted in the mathematical probabilities associated with each hand.
Breaking Down the Hands
To comprehend why the full house prevails, let’s clarify the composition of each hand:
- Flush: A flush consists of five cards of the same suit, irrespective of their numerical sequence. For instance, five hearts, or five clubs.
- Full House: A full house is composed of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, three queens and two sevens.
The Logic Behind the Ranking
The superiority of the full house stems from its lower statistical probability:
- Full houses are inherently rarer than flushes. The specific combinations required for a full house are less likely to occur than any five cards of the same suit.
- The difficulty in assembling a full house contributes to its elevated ranking within the poker hand hierarchy.
Poker Hand Rankings: A Quick Recap
To provide context, here’s a simplified overview of poker hand rankings, arranged from highest to lowest:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
The Exception: Short Deck Poker (6+ Hold’em)
While the full house reigns supreme in most poker games, there’s a notable exception: Short Deck Poker, also known as 6+ Hold’em. In this variant, the removal of the 2s through 5s from the deck alters the probabilities. 
Flushes become statistically rarer than full houses, leading to a reversal in their rankings. In Short Deck Poker, a flush beats a full house.
A Matter of Probabilities
The ranking of poker hands is fundamentally based on the probabilities of their occurrence. The rarer the hand, the higher its ranking. This principle ensures a balanced and competitive gameplay experience.
Final Thoughts
In the vast majority of poker games, the full house holds a higher value than the flush. This established hierarchy is a cornerstone of poker, providing a consistent and fair framework for gameplay. Therefore, when confronted with this scenario at the poker table, remember that the full house is the winning hand, unless you are playing Short Deck Poker.
