If you’re new to poker, you might still be getting the hang of different types of poker, their rules, and how betting works. However, in each poker game at a table, it’s crucial to know the different poker hands to play well. That’s where the cheat sheet for Poker comes into play.
These guides are primarily a tool to help you remember the order of poker hands, but they can also provide other valuable information, like the best-starting hands for a specific type of game. In this article, we’ll explain the various ways you can benefit from understanding poker hands. And just to be clear, a cheat sheet for Poker has absolutely NOTHING to do with cheating.
A poker cheat sheet is like a helpful guide for players to use during a poker game. It usually has important info about the game, like which hands are better, the basic rules, and some common strategies. This cheat sheet is designed to assist players, especially beginners, in making smart choices at the poker table without having to rely solely on their memory. It can be a handy tool for improving your understanding of the game and increasing your chances of winning.
It also lists the best hands to start with and provides key details about how the game is played. Essentially, it’s a summary of all the information you need to succeed when the cards are revealed in the poker showdown.
The best way to understand the basics of Texas Hold’em is by getting a printable poker hands cheat sheet.
If you’re a more experienced player looking to dive into the math aspect, you can obtain poker odds charts and probability tables to study the numbers. This will help you grasp the probabilities of getting a particular hand, as well as understand bluffing and calling odds, along with other important mathematical figures. This knowledge enables you to make informed decisions instead of relying on guesswork.
With all this information, you can avoid making significant mistakes, playing hands that aren’t worth it, or calling with a weak hand when you shouldn’t. This way, you can stay one step ahead of most of your opponents, even if you’re just starting to play.
Poker has a vast vocabulary, but you don’t have to memorize it all! Here’s a selection of the most frequently used poker terms you’ll encounter in Texas Hold’em.
To become skilled at poker, it’s crucial to grasp the hierarchy of poker hands, from the strongest to the weakest. To help you with this, you can use poker cheat sheets, which provide a quick overview of the best hands. This will help you understand the strength of your hand, your opponent’s hand, or the cards on the table.
In most poker games, you’ll be dealt five cards. Texas Hold’em is a popular example of such a game. The table below displays a simple chart that ranks the most common poker hands, starting with the best and ending with the worst.
| Poker Hand | Hand Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | The rarest and most prestigious hand, a straight from 10 to Ace with all cards of a matching suit | 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠ |
| Straight Flush | A straight comprised of consecutive cards, all sharing the same suit | 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of identical rank, a powerful hand in any game | 9♥ 9♠ 9♦ 9♣ X |
| Full House | A combination of one pair and one set, making for a solid hand | Q♦ Q♥ 7♠ 7♣ 7♥ |
| Flush | A hand with all five cards belonging to the same suit | 2♦ 4♦ 7♦ 9♦ J♦ |
| Straight | Five cards in consecutive order, regardless of their suits | 3♠ 4♣ 5♦ 6♥ 7♠ |
| Set (or Three of a Kind) | Three cards of the same rank, showing strength and potential | K♣ K♥ K♦ X X |
| Two Pair | A pair of one rank and another pair of a different rank | 10♠ 10♦ 6♣ 6♠ X |
| Pair (or Two of a Kind) | Two cards of equal value, offering some hope in the game | 8♥ 8♠ X X X |
| High Card | A hand with no matched cards, won or lost based on the highest card | A♦ J♠ 4♣ 7♥ 2♠ |
| Poker Hand | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Flush | A straight with all cards in the same suit | 7♠ 8♠ 9♠ |
| Three-of-a-Kind | Three cards of the same rank, a powerful trio | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ |
| Straight | Three cards in consecutive order, different suits | 2♦ 3♥ 4♣ |
| Flush | Three cards of the same suit, a united trio | 10♠ K♠ A♠ |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank, forming a pair | 6♥ 6♠ X |
| High Card | A hand with a single standout card | K♦ 5♠ 3♣ |
Poker cheat sheet is not just about the poker hands ranking or poker hierarchy chart, it is much beyond it. In poker, not all positions at the table are the same. Your chances of winning and the hands you should consider playing greatly depend on where you’re sitting.
The positions are named in relation to the Dealer button’s location in a game. Keep in mind that the button moves one position clockwise after each hand.
Starting from the left of the button, here are the position names you’ll encounter at a typical short-handed/6-max table:
If you’re playing at a full-ring table with 9 or 10 players, it’s a bit different. There will be more seats in the “early position,” immediately to the left of the big blind. However, these positions typically don’t have fancy names.
The following are the 10 best starting hands in poker which become a part of the cheat sheet for poker.
The best starting hands types in poker are:
