Updated on May 26, 2025
The poker term 'boat' is a nickname players adopted for ‘full house’. A full house is a poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank combined with two cards of another rank.
Essentially, a full house is a hand with a three-of-a-kind and a pair simultaneously.
In this article, we'll discuss the origin of the term, how to announce it at the table, and a few quick tips for playing it correctly.
What Does Boat Mean in Poker - The Origin of the Term
The term ‘boat’ is a shortened version of ‘full boat’; which is a variation of the official term ‘full house’.
No one knows where the term came from, but the most prevalent theory maintains that players on riverboats in the 19th century decided to change the name from 'full house' to 'full boat' or ‘boat’. Players frequently indulged in the game on boats to avoid the increasingly strict gambling laws.
There are several intriguing theories about the origin of this term. One suggests that ‘boat’ comes from the visual appearance of the cards when arranged with the pair on top and the three-of-a-kind on the bottom.
With this arrangement, the cards somewhat resemble the shape of a boat.
Another colourful story from poker folklore tells of a gambler, Thomas Winslow, who lost his riverboat to John Stinson in a legendary 1906 poker game. The fateful hand saw Winslow's nut flush beaten by Stinson's full house, with Winslow's actual riverboat at stake.
According to the tale, Stinson used the newly acquired vessel for Mississippi River tours and poker games, supposedly giving birth to the term "full boat."
While this story adds a romantic touch to poker history, it originates from an old TwoPlusTwo forum post that's no longer available. Still, it’s the only online source for this story, so take it with a grain of salt.
How to Announce a Boat in Poker?
Boats (or 'full houses') are described using the system "X's full of Y's", where X represents the three-of-a-kind and Y the pair.
For example, the boat 888KK is described as "Eights full of Kings", while the boat KKK88 is described as "Kings full of Eights".
Sometimes, players shorten the announcement to “Eights full” or “Kings full”.
The three-of-a-kind is always the first component of the hand. 88855 (Eights full of Fives) beats 22255 (Deuces full of Fives) because the three-of-a-kind in the first hand is stronger.
The pair is the tiebreaker, assuming two players have a boat of the same three kinds. For example, AAA77 loses to AAAKK because Kings beat Sevens.
If the pair is the same, then both boats tie and split the pot.
What is a Boat in Poker – Practical Examples
Poker Boat #1 (Texas Hold’em)
- Board: 88KA2
- Player 1: K8
- Player 2: A8
In this case, both players would have a boat with three eights, but Player 2 would win the hand as their pair of Aces would beat Player 1's pair of Kings.
Poker Boat #2 (Texas Hold’em)
- Board: TT944
- Player 1: JT
- Player 2: AT
Both players have the same boat: Tens full of fours. In this scenario, the kicker in their hands does not play. Even though Player 2 has the better kicker, the hand is still a tie, and they will split the pot – unless either player decides to execute a poker bluff.
H3: Poker Boat #3 (Omaha)
- Board: 27A22
- Player 1: AK98
- Player 2: 77JT
Even though you may think Player 1 has a boat, remember that you must use precisely TWO cards from your hand in Omaha.
So, Player 1’s best hand is 222AK for trip deuces with Ace-King kicker.
Player 2 has a boat with 77722 because they can use the pair of sevens in their hand.
How Strong Is a Boat in Hold'em?
Boats are almost always monster hands in Texas Hold'em, but some exceptions exist. The best boats in Hold'em use both hole cards. Boats using only one card from your hand are more likely to be dominated, especially if they connect with the lower pair on the board.
For example, be careful with 7x hands on 7788x boards, as your opponent only needs an 8 to defeat you, despite you each having a boat.
What Does Boat Mean in Poker – FAQ
Is a boat the same as a full house?
Yes, "boat" is a poker term for a full house. Both terms refer to the same hand: a three-of-a-kind accompanied by a pair.
How rare is a boat in Texas Hold'em?
Boats are relatively rare in Texas Hold’em, hence why they’re one of the strongest hands; only quads, straight flushes and royal flushes beat them.
What's the strongest possible boat in poker?
The strongest possible boat is Aces Full of Kings (AAAKK), featuring three Aces and two Kings.
Can you make a boat using only one hole card in Texas Hold'em?
Yes, you can make a boat using just one of your hole cards. For example, if you hold K♠️2♥️ and the board shows K♣️K♥️7♠️7♦️2♠️, you've made Kings full of sevens using your K♠️.
You ignore your 2♥️ since the board provides a higher-ranking full house combination than your 2♥️ would create.
Sailing Forward on Your Poker Boat
Understanding what a boat is in poker adds another valuable term to your poker vocabulary and helps you recognise one of the game's strongest hand combinations.
How awful would it be not to know what other players were talking about when they mentioned a boat?
So, are you ready to put your new knowledge into practice?
With a bit of skill and a splash of luck, you might just sail away with the pot!
Originally published on October 23, 2018
See Also
Hand-rankings, Two-Pair, Turn, River
See the entry on Hand-rankings for a full breakdown of the different hand-strengths in poker.
