Poker Cheat Sheet: Hands, Odds & Starting Hands

Need the essentials at a glance? This poker cheat sheet gives you the hand rankings, a fast way to count odds, a starting-hand shortcut, and a position guide. Keep it open while you train. It’s a memory aid, not a magic formula — poker is about reads and ranges, and this content is educational and approximate.

Hand rankings (strongest to weakest)

Memorize this order first. Everything else builds on it.

1. Royal Flush — A-K-Q-J-10, all one suit
2. Straight Flush — five in a row, same suit
3. Four of a Kind — four cards of the same rank
4. Full House — three of a kind + a pair
5. Flush — five cards of one suit, any order
6. Straight — five in a row, mixed suits
7. Three of a Kind — three cards of the same rank
8. Two Pair — two different pairs
9. One Pair — two cards of the same rank
10. High Card — nothing made; highest card plays

Quick tip: a flush beats a straight because a flush is harder to make. When two players share the same hand type, the higher cards (kickers) decide.

The rule of 2 and 4 (counting outs fast)

Your outs are the cards that improve you to a likely winner. The rule of 2 and 4 turns outs into a rough win percentage in one second:

• On the flop (two cards to come): outs × 4 ≈ your % to hit by the river
• On the turn (one card to come): outs × 2 ≈ your % to hit on the river

Common draws and their outs:

Draw	Outs	Flop (×4)	Turn (×2)
Flush draw	9	~36%	~18%
Open-ended straight	8	~32%	~16%
Gutshot straight	4	~16%	~8%
Two overcards	6	~24%	~12%

Pair this estimate with pot odds to decide if a call is profitable. If your chance to hit beats the price you’re paying, calling is usually right. Learn the full method in counting outs.

Starting-hand guide

You can’t memorize all 169 starting combos, so use tiers. Raise the strong ones, play the medium ones carefully, fold the rest from early position.

• Always raise (premium): AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK
• Strong, usually raise: TT, 99, AQ, AJs, KQs
• Speculative (play in position, cheaply): small pairs (22-88), suited connectors (78s, 89s), suited aces (A5s-A2s)
• Usually fold: weak offsuit hands like J6, Q4, K3o, and most unconnected low cards

“s” means suited, “o” means offsuit. Suited and connected hands gain value because they can make flushes and straights. For a deeper breakdown, see starting hands and preflop ranges.

Position cheat

Where you sit decides how wide you can play. The later you act, the more information you have — so you can open more hands.

• Early position (UTG): tightest. Premiums and strong broadways only.
• Middle position: open a bit wider; add strong suited hands.
• Late position (Cutoff / Button): widest range. Steal blinds, play suited connectors and suited aces.
• Blinds (SB / BB): out of position post-flop — defend selectively, don’t overplay.

The Button is the best seat at the table: you act last on every street after the flop. Use it. More in table positions.

Bet sizing at a glance

Keep sizing simple while you learn:

• Preflop open: 2-3 big blinds (add 1 BB per limper)
• Continuation bet: about 1/3 to 2/3 pot depending on board texture
• Value bet (river): size up — bet what a worse hand can call
• Bluff: pick a size your opponent can fold to

For the logic behind these numbers, read bet sizing and continuation bet.

Print-and-keep summary

If you only remember four things from this poker cheat sheet:

1. Flush beats straight beats three of a kind — know the ranking cold.
2. Outs × 4 on the flop, × 2 on the turn — instant odds.
3. Raise premiums, fold junk, play position — discipline beats fancy plays.
4. The Button is gold — play more hands there, fewer up front.

New to the game entirely? Start with how to play poker and the full poker hands list, then come back here.

A cheat sheet gets you started — reps make it stick. Train the spots until these become instinct.