Free printable reference
Poker cheat sheet
Hand rankings, starting hands, betting rounds and pot odds — the whole game on one page.
By All In Central · Updated 21 August 2026
This poker cheat sheet puts the whole game on one page: the ten hand rankings from strongest to weakest, the best starting hands to play, the four betting rounds, and the pot-odds shortcut for chasing a draw. Print it, save the PDF, or keep this page open on your phone at the table.
Poker hand rankings chart
Every hand beats the ones below it — so a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush. The rarer the hand, the stronger it is. Odds are for being dealt the hand in your first five cards.
| # | Hand | Example | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠ | 1 in 649,740 |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 9♥8♥7♥6♥5♥ | 1 in 72,193 |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Q♠Q♥Q♦Q♣K♠ | 1 in 4,165 |
| 4 | Full House | J♠J♥J♦9♣9♠ | 1 in 694 |
| 5 | Flush | A♦J♦8♦5♦2♦ | 1 in 508 |
| 6 | Straight | 9♠8♥7♠6♦5♣ | 1 in 255 |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 8♠8♥8♦K♣4♠ | 1 in 47 |
| 8 | Two Pair | A♠A♥7♦7♣K♠ | 1 in 21 |
| 9 | One Pair | 10♠10♥A♦7♣3♠ | 1 in 2.4 |
| 10 | High Card | A♠J♥9♦5♣3♠ | 1 in 2 |
Tie-breaks come down to the highest cards, then the kicker. Suits are never ranked — identical hands split the pot. Full detail on the hand rankings page, or grab the printable chart.
Best starting hands
The biggest beginner leak is playing too many hands. Stick to this shortlist and fold the rest, especially from early position — you can widen your range as you move closer to the button.
Raise for value from any seat.
Great hands; play them more carefully out of position.
See cheap flops in late position; fold to heavy action.
Especially from early seats. Patience is an edge.
Why so tight? The full reasoning — position, aggression and bankroll — is in the beginner's guide to playing poker.
The betting rounds
Texas Hold'em runs through four betting rounds. On your turn you can check (pass, if no one has bet), bet or raise, call to match, or fold.
- 1Pre-flop
Two hole cards each. Betting starts left of the big blind.
- 2The flop
Three community cards dealt face up, then a betting round.
- 3The turn
A fourth community card, then betting.
- 4The river
The fifth and final card, then the last betting round — survivors go to showdown.
The full walk-through — blinds, position, all-ins and side pots — is on the Texas Hold'em rules page.
Pot odds & outs
Count your outs — the cards that make your hand — then use the shortcut: outs × 2 for your rough chance to hit on the next card, × 4 with two cards still to come. If that percentage beats the price the pot is offering, calling makes money.
| Draw | Outs | By turn | By river |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gutshot straight | 4 | 9% | 17% |
| Two overcards | 6 | 13% | 24% |
| Open-ended straight | 8 | 17% | 31% |
| Flush draw | 9 | 19% | 35% |
| Flush + gutshot | 12 | 26% | 45% |
| Flush + open-ender | 15 | 32% | 54% |
Want the real number for a specific spot? Deal both hands into the odds & equity calculator and watch the percentages street by street.
Common questions
- What is a poker cheat sheet?
- A poker cheat sheet is a one-page reference that lists the things you look up most often at the table: the hand rankings from strongest to weakest, which starting hands are worth playing, the order of the betting rounds, and the quick pot-odds maths for chasing a draw. It's a memory aid for learning the game, not a way to cheat — everything on it is public knowledge that experienced players simply know by heart.
- What beats what in poker?
- From strongest to weakest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. A hand always beats every hand listed below it — so a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush. When two players hold the same type of hand, the higher cards win, and the kicker breaks a tie. Suits are never ranked, so identical hands split the pot.
- Is it cheating to use a poker cheat sheet?
- No. A hand-rankings cheat sheet just lists what beats what — it's a study aid, and it's completely fine for home games and while you're learning. The one place to leave it in your pocket is a casino or cardroom: they don't allow notes or devices at the table during a hand, so memorise the rankings before you play there. Nothing on this sheet gives you information other players don't already have.
- What are the best starting hands in poker?
- The premium starting hands are the big pairs — aces, kings, queens and jacks — plus ace-king. Just below them sit tens and nines, ace-queen, ace-jack and king-queen. Small pairs and suited connectors are worth playing cheaply in late position because they occasionally make a big hand. Everything else, especially weak offsuit hands from early position, is usually a fold. Playing fewer, stronger hands is the single biggest edge a beginner has.
- How do I print the poker cheat sheet?
- Use the printable hand-rankings chart — it opens on its own clean page with a print button, and from there you can print it or save it as a PDF to keep on your phone. Print it once and keep it with your chips, or leave this page open on a phone at the table for the full reference including starting hands and pot odds.