The term house in poker refers to the establishment that runs the game itself. It could be a brick and mortar casino or an online poker room.
The term house is especially used to describe the casino games offered by the establishment (e.g blackjack, roulette, craps) since they are played directly against the house rather than against other players.
The term full house describes a type of poker hand made with a combination of a pair and three of a kind.
In this guide we’ll learn the following -
What Does It Mean to ‘Play Against the House’?
Some games like poker are played against other players while other games are played directly against the casino (or house). Examples of games that are played against the house are blackjack, slots, roulette, craps and video poker. These games are typically set up so that the house has an edge and will win over the long run.
What Does it Mean if the ‘House Has An Edge’?
This refers to the fact that casino games are set up in a way that the house is guaranteed to win over the long term. In other words games like blackjack, slots, craps and roulette are not beatable in the long run. Sometimes players may get lucky and make money over the short term, but if they keep playing they will eventually lose everything back (and more), since the house has an edge.
Why Does the House Take Rake in Poker?
Unlike other casino games, the casino does not directly profit when players lose money at poker since the proceeds simply go to the winning player. Casinos are not charities and need to make money from running the poker game (and pay dealer wages etc). As such the casino deducts an amount of chips from each poker pot played (known as rake) in order to profit from hosting the poker game.
What Does the Phrase ‘The House Always Wins’ Mean?
It refers to the idea that the casino games are set up so that the casino (house) will always win in the long run. Standard casino games like blackjack, slots, craps and roulette are not beatable over the long term. Although players may sometimes win over the short term, they will eventually lose all their winnings back if they keep on playing.
What is a Full House in Poker?
A full house in poker is a five card hand consisting of a pair component and a three of a kind component. For example, KKKQQ is a type of full house and is given the name Kings full of Queens.
Summary
The term house simply refers to the establishment that is offering the game, whether it’s poker or some type of casino game. In most cases house refers to a brick and mortar casino although it could also be used to describe an online gaming establishment.
