The Ultimate Poker Cheat Sheet (Free Reference)
Everything you need at the poker table condensed into one page. This cheat sheet covers hand rankings, starting hand selection, outs and probabilities, pot odds, and common preflop matchups. Bookmark this page or print it for your next session.
1. Hand Rankings (Highest to Lowest)
| # | Hand | Example | Probability (5 cards) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ | 0.00015% |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ | 0.0014% |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 9♠ | 0.024% |
| 4 | Full House | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 7♣ 7♠ | 0.14% |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 4♦ 2♦ | 0.20% |
| 6 | Straight | 4♠ 5♥ 6♦ 7♣ 8♠ | 0.39% |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 9♠ 9♥ 9♦ K♣ 4♠ | 2.11% |
| 8 | Two Pair | J♠ J♥ 4♦ 4♣ A♠ | 4.75% |
| 9 | One Pair | 10♠ 10♥ A♦ 8♣ 3♠ | 42.3% |
| 10 | High Card | A♠ J♥ 8♦ 4♣ 2♠ | 50.1% |
2. Starting Hand Tiers
| Tier | Hands | Play From |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs | Any position — always raise |
| Strong | TT, 99, AKo, AQs, AJs, KQs | Early position onward |
| Playable | 88-66, ATs-A8s, KJs, QJs, JTs, T9s | Middle position onward |
| Marginal | 55-22, A7s-A2s, K9s, 98s, 87s, 76s | Button and blinds only |
| Fold | Everything else | Fold from all positions |
See our interactive hand rankings chart for the full 169-hand grid with color-coded tiers.
3. Outs & Probabilities Quick Reference
| Draw | Outs | Turn | River | Both |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One overcard | 3 | 6.4% | 6.5% | 12.5% |
| Gutshot straight | 4 | 8.5% | 8.7% | 16.5% |
| Two overcards | 6 | 12.8% | 13.0% | 24.1% |
| Open-ended straight | 8 | 17.0% | 17.4% | 31.5% |
| Flush draw | 9 | 19.1% | 19.6% | 35.0% |
| Flush + gutshot | 12 | 25.5% | 26.1% | 45.0% |
| Flush + open-ended | 15 | 31.9% | 32.6% | 54.1% |
Rule of 2 and 4: Outs × 4 on the flop, Outs × 2 on the turn.
4. Pot Odds Quick Reference
| Bet Size (% of pot) | Required Equity | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | 16.7% | 5:1 |
| 33% | 20.0% | 4:1 |
| 50% | 25.0% | 3:1 |
| 66% | 28.6% | 2.5:1 |
| 75% | 30.0% | 2.3:1 |
| 100% | 33.3% | 2:1 |
Formula: Required Equity = Call ÷ (Pot + Bet + Call). See our detailed pot odds tutorial.
5. Common Preflop Matchup Equities
| Matchup Type | Example | Equity |
|---|---|---|
| Overpair vs underpair | AA vs KK | ~82% vs 18% |
| Overcards vs pair | AKs vs QQ | ~46% vs 54% |
| Pair vs one overcard | KK vs AKo | ~69% vs 31% |
| Domination (shared card) | AK vs AQ | ~73% vs 27% |
| Pair vs dominated | AA vs AKs | ~93% vs 7% |
| Live overcards vs pair | KQs vs 88 | ~48% vs 52% |
Explore all matchups in detail on our hand matchups page.
6. Key Rules to Remember
- Position is power. Play tighter from early position, wider from the button.
- Suited adds ~3-4% equity over offsuit versions of the same hand.
- Set mining needs 15-20x the call in effective stacks to be profitable.
- Overpair vs underpair ≈ 80/20. Memorize this ratio.
- A flush draw has 9 outs — 35% by the river, 19% per card.
- If pot odds > required equity, call. If not, fold (unless implied odds help).
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a poker cheat sheet include?
A good poker cheat sheet covers: hand rankings (Royal Flush through High Card), a starting hand chart by position, an outs table with probabilities, pot odds reference for common bet sizes, and key preflop equity matchups.
Can I use a cheat sheet while playing poker?
In online poker, yes — most sites allow reference materials. In live poker, physical cheat sheets are generally not permitted at the table during play, but you can study them between sessions. The goal is to memorize the key numbers.
What are the most important numbers to memorize?
Focus on: pot odds for common bet sizes (25% pot = 17% equity needed, 50% pot = 25%, 100% pot = 33%), the Rule of 2 and 4 for outs, and the equity of common preflop matchups (overpair vs underpair ≈ 80/20, overcards vs pair ≈ 45/55).