Poker Cheat Sheet
Every hand ranking, winning probability, and pre-flop decision on one page.
The complete Poker cheat sheet — hand rankings, odds, starting hand charts, and position strategy on one page.
Whether you’re brand new to Poker or need a quick refresher mid-game, this cheat sheet covers everything you need to make better decisions at the table.
Hand Rankings (Highest to Lowest)
| Rank | Hand | Example | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | 0.000154% |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ | 0.00139% |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | 9♣ 9♦ 9♥ 9♠ J♣ | 0.024% |
| 4 | Full House | K♣ K♦ K♥ 7♠ 7♣ | 0.144% |
| 5 | Flush | 2♦ 5♦ 8♦ J♦ A♦ | 0.197% |
| 6 | Straight | 4♣ 5♠ 6♦ 7♥ 8♣ | 0.392% |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♠ 5♣ 8♥ | 2.11% |
| 8 | Two Pair | J♣ J♠ 4♦ 4♥ A♣ | 4.75% |
| 9 | One Pair | 10♣ 10♦ 3♠ 7♥ K♣ | 42.3% |
| 10 | High Card | A♣ J♠ 8♦ 5♥ 2♣ | 50.1% |
Quick memory trick: Royal Flush → Straight Flush → Four → Full → Flush → Straight → Three → Two → One → High. Notice: the “F” hands (Four, Full, Flush) are in the middle, and pairs count down (Three, Two, One).
Starting Hand Strength (Texas Hold’em)
Tier 1 — Premium Hands (Always Raise)
- A-A (Pocket Aces) — The best hand. Raise big pre-flop.
- K-K (Pocket Kings) — Nearly as strong. Raise big.
- Q-Q (Pocket Queens) — Strong but vulnerable to A or K on flop.
- A-K suited — Best non-pair. Needs to hit the flop.
Tier 2 — Strong Hands (Raise or Call)
- J-J — Good but plays cautiously post-flop
- A-K offsuit — Big Slick. Raise, but fold if you miss the flop
- A-Q suited — Strong but dominated by A-K
- 10-10 — Solid mid pair
Tier 3 — Playable Hands (Call or Raise in Position)
- 9-9, 8-8 — Mid pairs, set mining
- A-J suited, A-10 suited — Good suited aces
- K-Q suited — Needs to connect with the board
- J-10 suited — Best drawing hand
Tier 4 — Situational (Play in Late Position)
- 7-7, 6-6, 5-5 — Small pairs, set mine only
- Suited connectors (8-9s, 7-8s) — Call to see a flop cheaply
- A-x suited — Any ace with a suit can make nut flush
Fold These (Most Situations)
- 2-7 offsuit — Worst hand in Poker
- Unsuited disconnected low cards (3-8, 2-9, etc.)
- Any hand with no face cards, no pair, no suit match, no connection
Key Odds to Know
| Situation | Odds | You’ll Hit It |
|---|---|---|
| Flopping a set (pocket pair) | 7.5:1 | ~12% |
| Flopping two pair | 49:1 | ~2% |
| Completing a flush draw (flop → river) | ~1.9:1 | ~35% |
| Completing an open-ended straight draw (flop → river) | ~2.2:1 | ~32% |
| Making a flush draw on turn only | ~4.2:1 | ~19% |
| Hitting an overcard (two overcards) | ~6.7:1 | ~13% |
| Running into Aces when you hold Kings | ~220:1 | ~0.45% |
Position Strategy
Position matters more than your cards in most situations.
| Position | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Early (UTG, UTG+1) | Play only Tier 1 and top Tier 2 hands. You’re first to act every round. |
| Middle (MP1, MP2) | Add Tier 2 hands. Still cautious. |
| Late (Cutoff, Button) | Add Tier 3 and 4 hands. You see everyone act first — huge advantage. |
| Blinds (SB, BB) | Already invested money. Defend with decent hands but don’t throw good money after bad. |
Quick Betting Rules
- Pre-flop: Raise with premium hands. Call with speculative hands in position. Fold everything else.
- Post-flop: Bet if you hit. Check-fold if you missed (unless bluffing). Semi-bluff with draws.
- The rule of 2 and 4: Multiply your outs by 4 on the flop (two cards to come) or by 2 on the turn (one card to come) to estimate your winning percentage.
Outs Quick Reference
| Draw | Outs | Flop → River | Turn → River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flush draw | 9 | 35% | 19.6% |
| Open-ended straight | 8 | 31.5% | 17.4% |
| Gutshot straight | 4 | 16.5% | 8.7% |
| Two overcards | 6 | 24.1% | 13% |
| Set (pocket pair) | 2 | 8.4% | 4.3% |
Pre-Flop Action Summary
| Your Hand | Early Position | Mid Position | Late Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-A, K-K | Raise big | Raise big | Raise big |
| Q-Q, A-Ks | Raise | Raise | Raise |
| J-J, A-Ko | Raise/Call | Raise | Raise |
| 10-10, A-Qs | Call | Raise/Call | Raise |
| 9-9, A-Js | Fold/Call | Call | Raise |
| Suited connectors | Fold | Fold/Call | Call |
| Small pairs | Fold | Fold/Call | Call |
| Trash | Fold | Fold | Fold |
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