Does four of a kind beat a full house?

Quads are one of the rarest hands in poker, sitting above the full house. All four cards of a single rank beat any three-plus-two combination. When quads run into a full house, the full house almost always loses a big pot because it is hard to fold.

On a board of 6♠ 6♦ K♥ K♣ 3♠, one player holds 6♥ 6♣ for four sixes and the other holds K♦ Q♠ for kings full of sixes. The player with the full house holds the best possible boat and cannot see the quads coming, so every chip tends to go in.

Double-paired boards create this cooler. A player holding the top full house cannot imagine folding, which is why quads win a full stack so often. There is no sensible fold for the full house at cash stakes, and no one should try to find one. Above four of a kind sit only the straight flush and the royal flush.

Quick tip: Four of a kind beats a full house. Only a straight flush and royal flush beat quads.