When Did the Rules Change?

[sub-zero]

A littel poker history/trivia here. I had a deck of cards when I was growing up that was my dads, so it was several years old already when I got it, and now it would probably be close to 35-40 years old. I wish I still had it, but I don't.

I know that the rules in that deck said that a Full House beat a Straight and a Flush beat a Full House. It used to be that way. I started playing poker again just a few months ago and realized that this was not true anymore. When did this change?? It confused the heck outta me at first, but now it isn't an issue anymore. I am just curious.

[winningedge]

As far as I know, a Full House does still beat a straight or a flush, though that doesnt mean that there arent some oddities in the way hands rank in poker though..
I've always thought it wierd that a Flush beats a Straight.. I mean, statistically , you're more likely to make a flush than you are a straight, yet the flush still wins..

and lets not forget about 3 of a kind, which with any two cards, is a 2 or a 3 out hand.. far less likely to hit trips than to catch a flush or a straight.. Anyone else ever thought this was strange or know why it is like this?

[r8rpwr]

That confused me as well recently, though I think I've finally got it straight.

I would think they would revisit things so that the rank of hands matched up properly with the odds. It's just numbers, after all. I'm a math geek and I could probably figure it out myself.

But hey, that would be too obvious.

[sub-zero]

Originally Posted by winningedge As far as I know, a Full House does still beat a straight or a flush, though that doesnt mean that there arent some oddities in the way hands rank in poker though..

Ok, I said it backwards, didn't I? Yes, today, a flush beats a FH. But the deck I had said that a FH beat both a Straight and a Flush. Here is the order:

Pair
3 of a Kind
Straight
FH
Flush
4 of a Kind
Straight Flush
Royal Flush

Flush and FH used to be switched in this list.

[winningedge]

nope.. you've still got that switched around.. your FH should be higher than the flush.. it is trumped only by 4 of kind, straight flush, or royal flush as shown below

Straight
Flush
FH
4kind
Straight Flush
Royal Flush

[Rowena105]

Well I'm glad to see that someone finally put it the right way. I have been playing poker for 40 years and as far as I know that is the way it has always been. I don't ever remember it being any other way.

[PokerPrincess]

Sounds to me like you got a deck of cards manufactured by someone who really didn't know poker. I have never heard of a flush beating a full house in my life.

[sub-zero]

Well, perhaps I am on crack then. I wish that I still had that deck of cards that my dad had when I was young so that I could verify, but I don't. Thanks for the replies, though.