Does four of a kind beat three of a kind?
Yes. Four of a kind beats three of a kind in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, four of a kind is #3 and three of a kind is #7. Categories are compared first: even quad deuces beats three aces — the category always decides first.
Four cards of the same rank ("quads").
Three cards of the same rank ("trips").
How rare is each hand?
Rarity is exactly why the order is what it is. Out of 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, four of a kind shows up in 0.024% of them (624 combinations), while three of a kind appears in 2.11% (54,912 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.
Does three of a kind ever beat four of a kind?
No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible three of a kind still loses to the lowest possible four of a kind. Ranks inside a category only matter when both players hold the same category.
Prove it to yourself
Which hand wins? Tap it.