Does a straight flush beat a full house?

Yes. A straight flush beats a full house in poker — every time. In the ranking of 10 hand categories, straight flush is #2 and full house is #4. Categories are compared first: even a five-high straight flush beats aces full of kings — the category always decides first.

#2
Straight Flush — wins

Five cards in a row, all one suit.

9♥8♥7♥6♥5♥
#4
Full House — loses

Three of a kind plus a pair.

J♠J♥J♦4♣4♠

How rare is each hand?

Rarity is exactly why the order is what it is. Out of 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, a straight flush shows up in 0.00139% of them (36 combinations), while a full house appears in 0.144% (3,744 combinations). The harder a hand is to make, the higher it ranks.

Does a full house ever beat a straight flush?

No — never. The category comparison is absolute: the highest possible full house still loses to the lowest possible straight flush. Ranks inside a category only matter when both players hold the same category.

Prove it to yourself

Which hand wins? Tap it.

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