Gambling terms, explained straight

Card Games

Card terms boat

In poker, a boat is another name for a full house — a hand that combines three matching cards of one rank with two matching cards of a different rank.

Hand composition
3 cards of one rank + 2 cards of another rank2
Hand ranking
Below four of a kind; above a flush2

Key points

  • A boat (full house) is made of a three-of-a-kind and a separate pair in the same hand.2
  • The term applies primarily to poker; the hand category is standard in poker hand rankings.12
  • A full house ranks below four of a kind and above a flush in standard poker hand rankings.2

Not the same as

  • Card game terms — a broader glossary covering many card game terms, not just poker slang
Card games Card terms clear Explains the term 'clear' in card game contexts. Card games Card terms pack Defines 'pack' as used in card games. Card games Flush Covers terms related to flush hands in card games. Card games Card game terms and phrases A collection of common card game terminology and expressions. Card games Card game terms family Explains the 'family' of terms used in card games. Card games Hearts card game Rules and terminology for the trick-taking game Hearts.

Sources

  1. Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Confirms boat as slang for full house and that it applies primarily to poker.
  2. List of poker hands en.wikipedia.org Provides the hand composition (3+2), ranking (below four of a kind, above a flush), and how it works.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.