Boat and Royal Family: Poker Terms

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>I'm having a devil of a time confirming "boat" and "royal family" as terms
>for "full house" and "royal flush" respectively. My friends and I use them
>in poker all the time (Seattle).

I think "[full] boat" for "full house" has been conventional everywhere
I've played (midwest mostly). I am absolutely sure it was more common than
"full house" among my poker buddies in Wisconsin in the 1980's. I wonder:
why "boat"?

"Royal family" I'm not familiar with, but then a royal flush doesn't appear
all that often except in certain forms of poker with which I have little
experience.

-- Doug Wilson