Probability of drawing a full house

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The probability of drawing a full house from a standard 52-card deck is calculated using combinations and probabilities. The correct calculation involves multiplying the probabilities of drawing three matching cards and two matching cards, leading to a final probability of approximately 0.00144. The discussion clarifies that once the positions of the three matching cards are chosen, the remaining positions for the pair are automatically determined, negating the need to multiply by the combinations for the pair. This understanding highlights the relationship between the selection of the trio and the pair in the context of card positions. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the correct approach to calculating the probability of a full house in poker.
Biosyn
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Homework Statement



What is the probability of drawing a full house from a standard deck (52).


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



These are the two answers I came up with:

(52/52) * (3/51) * (2/50)* (48/49) * (3/48) * 5C3 * 5C2 = 0.0144~

or

(52/52) * (3/51) * (2/50)* (48/49) * (3/48) * 5C3 = 0.00144~


The second answer is the correct one.

I know you multiply by 5 choose 3 because there are three matching cards that you need to select out of five spots.
But what about the pair? Do I need to multiply by 5 choose 2?

The simulation on Wolframalpha comes up with a probability that is close to my second answer.(The correct one).
 
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Biosyn said:
I know you multiply by 5 choose 3 because there are three matching cards that you need to select out of five spots.
But what about the pair? Do I need to multiply by 5 choose 2?
The multiplication by 5C3 expresses that you don't care which of the 5 cards are the trio. But once that's decided, there are only two spots left for the pair, so you do not want to multiply by 5C2 as well. In fact, you could have done it either way round, 5C3 and 5C2 being the same.
 
haruspex said:
The multiplication by 5C3 expresses that you don't care which of the 5 cards are the trio. But once that's decided, there are only two spots left for the pair, so you do not want to multiply by 5C2 as well. In fact, you could have done it either way round, 5C3 and 5C2 being the same.

Oh, I see. So after the location of the first three cards are 'picked', the location of the other 2 cards have been determined. Or vice versa where the location of the pairs are determined first and then the three cards basically have no where else to go.
Thanks!
 
Question: A clock's minute hand has length 4 and its hour hand has length 3. What is the distance between the tips at the moment when it is increasing most rapidly?(Putnam Exam Question) Answer: Making assumption that both the hands moves at constant angular velocities, the answer is ## \sqrt{7} .## But don't you think this assumption is somewhat doubtful and wrong?

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