The best poker cheat sheets cover every element of poker, not only allowing beginners to quickly get up to speed with the competition but also enabling experienced players to take their game to the next level.
In this article, we introduce eight helpful cheat sheets for poker that can be downloaded as a high-resolution image or taken part of in text. These cheat sheets cover the following topics:
The 8 Do’s and Don’ts Poker Cheat Sheet
Click here to view and download a high-resolution image of the cheat sheet.
Here is the Do’s and Don’ts Poker Cheat Sheet in text:
You should:
- Play on tables with a lot of bad players
You can only win in poker by playing against people who make more mistakes than you. - Use Poker Tracker to learn the skill of players
This software costs money, but it is well worth the investment as it tracks your opponents. - Understand the value of table position
Early position makes you more vulnerable, while later position allows you to act after your opponents (button being the best position). - Raise the right hands for your position:
- UTG: 66 – AA, AQ+
- EP: 22 – AA, AJ+, KQ
- MP: 22 – AA, AJ+, KQ, QJ
- BTN: 22 – AA, A2+, K9+, QJ, 76s+
- SB: 22 – AA, A2+, K9+, QJ, 76s+
- Know how to deal with a preflop raise:
- Call a raise with: 22 – TT, AJ, AQ
- 3bet with: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK
- Call a 3bet with: QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AQ, AK
- 4bet with: AA, KK
- Play your strong hands aggressively
Bet and raise with your strong hands. Get as much value as you can out of each hand. - Understand volatility
In the long run, skilled poker players win, but bad luck can make you lose in the short run. - Have a sizeable bankroll to counter volatility
Recommendations are 30 – 50 buy-ins for cash games, 100 – 150 buy-ins for single-table tournaments, and 50 – 100 buy-ins for multi-table tournaments.
You should not:
- Bluff too much
Effective bluffs require proper board texture and reading opponents. Don’t overdo them! - Ever try to bluff bad players
These tend to call even if their hand is bad. - Play too many hands
Stick to the ones recommended under do’s. - Slow play big hands
You want to bet in order to build a pot and win as much money as possible. - Mindlessly chase draws
If you miss the flop, draws are only worth chasing if you have the right pot odds. - Let your emotions get to you
Bad luck is part of poker. But getting upset can cause you to play poorly and have you lose a lot of money. - Play drunk or tired
Poker requires mental focus to perform well. - Ever show your hands
Whether you win by a bluff or by having the best hand, you do not want to give away any information to your opponents by showing your hand.
Cheat Sheet for Poker Hand Rankings
Click here to view and download a high-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
Here is the Poker Hand Ranking Cheat Sheet in text:
| Hand Name | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥ | Highest straight flush, ace-high |
| Straight Flush | 7♣ 6♣ 5♣ 4♣ 3♣ | Five consecutive cards of the same suit |
| Four of a Kind | A♦ A♥ A♠ A♣ 7♠ | Four cards of the same rank |
| Full House | A♥ A♠ A♦ 8♥ 8♣ | Three cards of the same rank + two different cards of the same rank |
| Flush | K♥ Q♥ 9♥ 6♥ 3♥ | Five cards of the same suit |
| Straight | 9♦ 8♥ 7♠ 6♣ 5♦ | Five consecutive cards of mixed suits |
| Three of a Kind | K♥ K♠ K♦ 8♣ 4♥ | Three cards of the same rank |
| Two Pair | A♥ A♦ 9♥ 9♣ 7♠ | Two cards of the same rank + two different cards of the same rank |
| One Pair | 10♥ 10♣ K♦ 8♥ 3♦ | Two cards of the same rank |
| High Card | A♥ J♦ 9♠ 6♥ 2♣ | Highest value card in hand |
Cheat Sheet for the 20 Best Starting Hands
Click here to view and download a high-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
Here is the text version of the cheat sheet for the 20 best starting hands in poker:
| Rank | Hand | Win Chance Before the Flop |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pocket Aces (A♥A♠) | 83% |
| 2 | Pocket Kings (K♦K♣) | 80% |
| 3 | Pocket Queens (Q♠Q♦) | 75% |
| 4 | Pocket Jacks (J♥J♦) | 72% |
| 5 | Pocket Tens (10♣10♥) | 67% |
| 6 | Pocket Nines (9♦9♣) | 67% |
| 7 | Ace-King suited (A♠K♠) | 63% |
| 8 | Ace-Queen suited (A♦Q♦) | 62% |
| 9 | Ace-King offsuit (A♦K♣) | 61% |
| 10 | Ace-Queen offsuit (A♠Q♥) | 60% |
| 11 | Ace-Jack suited (A♥J♥) | 59% |
| 12 | Pocket Eights (8♦8♣) | 59% |
| 13 | Ace-Jack offsuit (A♥J♣) | 57% |
| 14 | Ace-Ten suited (A♠10♠) | 56% |
| 15 | King-Queen suited (K♠Q♠) | 54% |
| 16 | King-Queen offsuit (K♦Q♣) | 51% |
| 17 | King-Jack suited (K♦J♦) | 51% |
| 18 | King-Ten Suited (K♥10♥) | 49% |
| 19 | Queen-Jack suited (Q♥J♥) | 48% |
| 20 | Queen-Ten suited (Q♠10♠) | 46% |
Cheat Sheet for Poker Terms
Click here to view and download the highest-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
Here is the Poker Terms Cheat Sheet in text:
Basic Gameplay Terms
- Betting round
- A sequence in poker when players still in the hand have the options to check, bet, raise, call, or fold. Multiple betting rounds can occur in a hand, including preflop, flop, turn, and river.
- Street
- Each sequence where a set of community cards is dealt in a poker hand, triggering a new betting round. The flop, turn, and river each represent different streets.
- Hole cards
- The initial two cards dealt face down to each individual player before any community cards come out. Hole cards are only seen by that player.
- Community cards
- Cards dealt face up in the center of the poker table, shared by all players to make their best 5-card hand. This is also called “board cards”.
- Preflop
- The first betting round in poker, occurring after players are dealt their private hole cards but before the three community flop cards are turned up.
- Flop
- The first three community cards dealt face up after the preflop betting round. Flop cards are shared by all players to make their best 5-card hand.
- Turn
- The fourth community card dealt face up, after the flop. Players can now use four shared cards to build their hand.
- River
- The fifth and final community card dealt face up.
- Blinds
- Forced money that is put in by two players before any cards are dealt to build a pot and initiate betting action. This includes small blind and big blind.
- Ante
- A small, mandatory chip contribution required from each player before any cards are dealt to build the pot. This is typically added in later tournament stages and is not present in cash games.
Action Terms
- Bet
- To voluntarily put money into the pot, either to open the betting on a round, to call a bet, or to increase the size of the bet in response to a previous bet or raise from another player.
- Check
- Choosing not to bet, passing the action to the next player without putting additional chips in the pot.
- Call
- To match the amount of a bet or raise made by an opponent. Calling keeps you in the hand.
- Raise
- To increase the size of the previous bet or raise in a betting round, forcing opponents to commit more chips.
- Check-raise
- A tactical move where a player initially checks, then raises after an opponent bets, aiming to build a larger pot.
- All in
- To move all your remaining chips into the pot. Often done with a strong hand or when short-stacked near the end of a tournament.
- Fold
- To discard your hand and forfeit any chance of winning the current pot. Done when you don’t want to call a bet or lack confidence in your hand.
- Bluff
- To bet or raise with an inferior or weak hand, attempting to get opponents to fold superior hands. A risky but aggressive move.
- Semi-bluff
- To bluff with a hand that still has a chance to improve on later streets. Combines bluffing with some hand potential.
Positional Terms
- Under the Gun (UTG)
- Acts first before the flop and is the third player to act after the flop (after the small and big blind). Generally considered as the worst starting position.
- Early Position (EP)
- The earliest positions at the table, including UTG.
- Middle Position (MP)
- One of the positions in the middle of the table, after UTG and before the cutoff.
- Hijack
- Position just before the cutoff.
- Cutoff (CO)
- Position just before the button.
- Button (BTN)
- Best position as you will always act last on the flop, turn, and river, and third to last preflop.
- Small Blind (SB)
- A fixed fee placed before the first betting round starts. Also, the position that acts second to last before the flop and the first after the flop.
- Big Blind (BB)
- An even bigger fixed fee placed before the first betting round starts. Also, the position that acts last before the flop and second first after the flop.
Other Terms
- Pot Odds
- The ratio between the size of the current pot and how much it would cost to continue playing the hand. Indicates mathematical risk/reward.
- Equity
- The share of a pot that “belongs” to a player at any given time, based on that player’s chance of winning the pot. For instance, a 50% win chance in a $100 pot results in an equity of $50.
- Draw
- A hand with hole cards that could improve to a stronger hand, depending on later community cards.
- Gutshot
- An inside straight draw that needs exactly one card to complete a straight. Typically has poor equity but a big payout if hit.
- Backdoor
- A drawing hand that requires the right cards to hit on both the turn and river to become strong.
- Double Barrel
- Same player initiating betting on the flop as well as the turn, or turn as well as the river.
- Triple Barrel
- Same player initiating betting on the flop, turn, and river.
- Outs
- Unseen cards that will make your hand stronger. For instance, if you have two hearts on hand and there are two hearts on the table, the remaining hearts in the deck would be your outs to make a flush.
- Bankroll
- Your total budget allocated specifically for playing poker. Bankroll management is crucial to stay solvent.
- No-limit
- A poker format where players can bet any amount they want up to their entire stack, whenever it’s their turn. This format is highly flexible and aggressive.
- Limit
- A poker format that limits how much players can bet or raise to a fixed amount in each betting round.
- Slow rolling
- When a player deliberately delays showing a superior winning hand at a showdown, heightening the agony of their opponent. Considered poor etiquette.
- Slow play
- To pass up betting opportunities with a very strong hand to keep opponents in the pot. A move that can disguise your hand, but also risks losing value.
- Underdog
- A hand that is mathematically unlikely to be the best hand at showdown against a specific opponent’s holdings. Still has a chance to win.
- Bubble
- To finish just out of the prize spots in a poker tournament, just before the money is reached.
- Bad beat
- Losing a hand where you were a huge statistical favorite going in, generally occurring after your opponent catches miracle cards to win.
- Fish
- A weak, unskilled losing poker player. Easy to spot and profitable to play against for better players.
- Shark
- A dangerous, winning poker player who systematically profits from weaker opponents. Poker sharks are tough, aggressive regulars.
- Tilt
- Playing poker recklessly, overly aggressively, and emotionally due to previous losses or frustration at the table. Leads to poor decisions.
- Showdown
- The final moment in a poker hand where the remaining players reveal their cards and the best hand wins the pot. Only occurs when a player is all in or after all bets have been called on the river.
Cheat Sheet for Table Positions
Click here to view and download a high-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
Here is the table position cheat sheet in text:
| Position | Acronym | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Under the Gun | UTG | – First to act preflop – Third to act after the flop – Considered the worst position |
| Early Position | EP | – The earliest positions at the table – Weak as many players will act after |
| Middle Position | MP | – The middle position(s) of the table – After UTG and before Hijack |
| Hijack | HJ | – Position just before Cutoff |
| Cutoff | CO | – Position just before Button – Second last to act on the flop, turn, and river – Considered a great position |
| Button | BT | – Last to act on the flop, turn, and river – Considered the best position |
| Small Blind | SB | – First to act on the flop, turn, and river – Has to put a forced fee preflop |
| Big Blind | BB | -Second to act on the flop, turn, and river – Has to put a bigger forced fee preflop |
| Note that players turn acting in a clockwise manner. Before the flop, UTG is first, followed by EP, MP, HJ, CO, BT, SB, and BB. On the flop, turn and river, SB is first, followed by BB, UTG, EP, MP, HJ, CO, and BT. | ||
Cheat Sheet for Poker Hands to Play Preflop
Click here to view and download a high-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
While there are many cheat sheets for hands to play preflop, ours is based on tight, aggressive poker that’s been proven to be profitable. It’s efficient and simple to follow. The strategy works for both 6-max and 9-max tables. However, in 6-max tables, there is no UTG.
Here’s the cheat sheet in text form:
Poker Hands to Raise First In
| Position | Pair | Suit | Offsuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTG | 66+ | AQ+ | AQ+ |
| UTG+1 | 66+ | AQ+ | AQ+ |
| UTG+2 | 66+ | AQ+ | AQ+ |
| EP | 22+ | AJ+, KQ | AJ+, KQ |
| MP | 22+ | AJ+, KJ+, QJ+ | AJ+, KJ+, QJ+ |
| CO | 22+ | A9+, KJ+, QJ+, JT, T9, 98, 87 | A9+, KJ+, QJ+ |
| BTN | 22+ | A2+, K9+, QJ+, JT, T9, 98, 87, 76 | A2+, K9+, QJ+ |
| SB | 22+ | A2+, K9+, QJ+, JT, T9, 98, 87, 76 | A2+, K9+, QJ+ |
To clarify, you should only raise these hands if it has been folded around to you. You should also avoid making flat calls preflop unless a player has raised you. If you’re facing a race, you follow the table below.
Poker Hands to Call a Raise / 3Bet / Call a 3Bet / 4Bet
Please note that the below information applies regardless of which table position you’re in. This cheat sheet shows how to play your hand preflop when facing a raise. If you should call the raise, or re-raise (3bet), and if you should call a re-raise (3bet) or raise it (4bet).
| Pairs | Suit | Offsuit |
|---|---|---|
| Call a Raise With: | ||
| 22 – TT | QJ, JT | AQ, AJ, KQ |
| Re-Raise (3Bet) With: | ||
| JJ – AA | AK | AK |
| Call a Re-Raise (3Bet) With: | ||
| 99 – QQ | AK, AQ | AK, AQ |
| 4Bet With: | ||
| KK – AA | – | – |
Cheat Sheet for Poker Outs
Click here to view and download a high-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
Here is the poker outs cheat sheet in text:
| Type of Draw | Outs | Turn to River % | Flop to River % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips to Quads | 1 | 2% | 4% |
| Pair to Set | 2 | 4% | 8% |
| One Overcard to Top Pair | 3 | 7% | 13% |
| Inside Straight Draw / Two Pair to Full House | 4 | 9% | 17% |
| – | 5 | 11% | 20% |
| Two Overcards to Top Pair | 6 | 13% | 24% |
| Set to Full House or Quads | 7 | 15% | 28% |
| Open Straight Draw | 8 | 17% | 32% |
| Flush Draw | 9 | 19% | 35% |
| Inside Straight Draw + Two Overcards to Top Pair | 10 | 22% | 38% |
| Open Straight Draw + One Overcard to Top Pair | 11 | 24% | 42% |
| Flush Draw + Inside Straight Draw | 12 | 26% | 45% |
| – | 13 | 28% | 48% |
| – | 14 | 30% | 51% |
| Flush Draw + Open Straight Draw | 15 | 33% | 57% |
Outs are the number of cards that will improve your hand at any given time. For instance, if you have 4 cards to a flush, there are 9 cards left in the deck that will complete that flush. These are your outs.
Outs are used to calculate the chance of hitting a winning hand during a situation where you believe your opponent is currently ahead of you. The winning chance is used together with pot odds to determine if it’s a profitable decision to call the amount your opponent bets.
In the table above, turn to river illustrates the win chance when only one community card is left to be dealt. This win chance is also true when calculating the flop to turn %. Flop to river, on the other hand, illustrates the win chance when two community cards are left to be dealt.
An easy trick to calculate your chance of winning is to multiply your outs by two on the turn and by four on the flop.
Cheat Sheet for Pot Odds
Click here to view and download a high-resolution version of the cheat sheet.
| Bet to Call | Pot Odds | Implied Odds * |
|---|---|---|
| 2x the pot | 40% | 20% |
| 1.5x the pot | 38% | 19% |
| 1x the pot | 33% | 17% |
| 3/4 the pot | 30% | 15% |
| 2/3 the pot | 29% | 14% |
| 1/2 the pot | 25% | 12.5% |
| 1/3 the pot | 20% | 10% |
| 1/4 the pot | 17% | 8% |
| * These implied odds assume that you will win another pot-sized bet from your opponent after the call (assuming you hit your draw). | ||
Pot Odds
Pot odds in poker are the money you have to call to stay in the hand divided by the size of the pot after your call. They are used together with outs (your chance of winning) to determine if a call is profitable to make or not.
For instance, if the pot is $50 and your opponent bets $25 into it, the pot becomes $75. You now have to call $25 to stay in the hand. In other words, you have to call $25 to win a total of $100 ($75 in the pot + your own $25). The pot odds then become 25/100 which is 25%.
This means that you have to have a higher chance of winning than 25% for the call to be profitable. If you are drawing to get the best hand, you would need at least 12 outs to hit your draw on the next card. If you’re on the flop and think you’ll get to see the river for free if you call, you only need 7 outs.
Implied Odds
For the calculations to be even more accurate, you need to take “implied odds” into account. This is additional money that you think will be added to the pot if you hit your draw, which then becomes additional winnings.
For instance, if you think your opponent will call another $100 after you hit your draw, the implied odds would be 25/200 (12.5%) instead of the 25/100 pot odds. You are calling $25 to win the current $100 + an additional $100 that you think your opponent will give you.
While implied odds make matters more difficult in poker, you can use the following trick to calculate them:
- Divide the pot odds by 2.5 if you think you will win another 1.5x the pot after the call.
- Divide the pot odds by 2 if you think you will win another 1x the pot after the call.
- Divide the pot odds by 1.5 if you think you will win another 1/2 pot bet after the call.
- Divide the pot odds by 1.25 if you think you will win another 1/4 pot bet after the call.