Ultimate Poker Cheat Sheet

Poker is undoubtedly one of the most demanding casino games. Those that want to play poker will see that this variant relies on skill, not on luck. Learning how to bluff, reading your opponents, which cards are good starting hands and which aren’t, as well as knowing when to fold are some of the traits that you should master.

The best way to do so is to read a printable poker cheat sheet. Cheat sheets allow players to get familiar with the gameplay and rules. That’s exactly what we at BestPoker aim to do – provide you with as much as information on any game, which in this case is poker.

With that being said, allow us to explain what you need to know about this game.

Poker Hands Cheat Sheet

Before you start playing Texas Holdem poker, or another variant of poker for real money, you must know which hands are winning ones.

That’s why we’ll start this cheat sheet with poker hand rankings. As you may know, to claim the prize pool in a game of poker, you must have a winning hand. Multiple players can have a winning hand at once and this is where their ranking will determine who gets the ultimate reward.

With that being said, the winning hands in poker are:

  • High Card – no combinations are available and the player with the highest-ranked card wins
  • One Pair – two same-ranked cards number as well as three random cards (ex.: 2,2, 4, 7, 8)
  • Two Pairs – two one pair cards (ex.: 2,2, 4,4)
  • 3 of a Kind – three same-ranked cards but different suite (ex.: 3-3-3)
  • Straight: five consecutive cards, not in the same suit (ex.: 4-5-6-7-8)
  • Flush: five cards in the same suit, not in consecutive order (ex.: 1, 5, 6, 9 and J in spades)
  • Full House – a combination of one pair and three of a kind (ex.: 2-2, J-J-J)
  • 4 of a Kind – four same-ranked cards, not the same suite (ex.: J-J-J-J)
  • Straight Flush: five consecutive cards in the same suite (ex.: 4,5,6,7,8 in hearts)
  • Royal Flush: 10-J-Q-K-A in the same suit

These hand rankings are the same for both land-based and online poker. The hand rankings in order are chronological; from lowest to highest.

Hence, this poker cheat sheet for beginners states that the lowest-ranked winning combination that a poker player can have is the High Card. On the other side, the most powerful poker hand is Royal Flush.

Poker Odds Cheat Sheet

Of course, when you play online games such as Texas Hold’em, it is important to know what is the chance of hitting a certain winning combination. That is exactly what we are we will cover next.

As you may know, the more powerful the poker hand is, the less likely it is for it to drop. In order for you to know which winning combinations you can expect to drop frequently and which are rare, you must have more than a cheat sheet for poker hands.

One thing that we should note about the poker odds listed below is that we didn’t use a random poker odds calculator. Instead, the results are the outcome of 2,598,960 5-card hands that can be dealt with in this game.

First things first, the most likely hand with which you can beat your friends in poker is the High Card. Its winning odds are 50.1%. Next up, the chances of hitting One Pair are 42.3%.

Once you get to Two Pairs, the chances reduce drastically for these cash games. There’s a 4.8% chance of hitting this winning combination at poker tables. The chances reduce even more for hitting Three of a Kind – 2.1%.

After that, the odds reduce below 1%. In chronological order, these are the chance of hitting the remaining winning hands:

  • Straight – 0.4%
  • Flush – 0.2%
  • Full House – 0.14%
  • Four of a Kind – 0.024%
  • Straight Flush – 0.001%
  • Royal Flush – 0.0002%

As you can see, the basic poker rules tell you that you will definitely win a round if you end up having a Royal Flush. The only problem here is, that this poker card hand drops very rarely.

Betting Options

Next up, when you play at the best poker sites, you have to know what types of bets can you place.

It’s pointless to know the winning hands and the respective poker percentages if you can’t bet on your hand. That is why we listed all of the available bets in our poker guide below. Let’s check them out.

First off, we have FOLD. This betting option means that you quit the round and you do not want to continue. Next, if you’ve made your bet and you don’t want to raise or fold, you can CHECK.

Speaking of RAISE, this means that you want to bet a higher sum on your hands. Those that CALL/BET accept your new wager. If someone raises and you want to continue playing, you also use the CALL/BET option.

These bets are the same, regardless of the poker software provider. As you know, game providers create their own variants of poker and may have a special poker reference sheet, but regardless of the game, these rules remain the same.

Texas Holdem Progression Cheat Sheet

One of the most commonly played games in poker tournaments is Texas Hold’em. That is why we wanted to share a few poker rules specifically for this game. When it comes to the order of poker hands, the rules in this variant remain the same.

However, we wanted to share a special Texas Holdem cheat sheet related to the progression of the game.

The game begins in the preflop mode. Once players place the small and big blinds, the round begins. Players receive two cards and the betting round starts clockwise. After the first round ends, the dealer places 3 face-up cards on the table. These are known as community cards.

After each round, the dealer deals one additional round. The fourth card is called the Turn card while the fifth and final card is called River. In between each round, players can raise, call, fold or check.

Once the fifth round finishes and all of the bets are settled, players place their hands face-up. The money goes to the one that has the most powerful winning hand.

Positional Awareness

One additional thing that is important to know is that there are various poker positions that you should be aware of.

There are 6 available positions in a game of poker. Since they are among the poker expressions that you must be aware of, we will share them:

  • Big Blind (BB)
  • Small Blind (SB)
  • Early Position (EP)
  • Middle Position (MP)
  • Button (BTN)
  • Cutoff (CO)

In the preflop mode, the game starts with the player in the EP and continues clockwise. After the flop, the first player that reacts is the small blind.

Final Words

Although there’s no such thing as poker for dummies, the cheat sheet can help you master this game. There are plenty of things to know, especially when it comes to the poker hierarchy and its winning hands.

That is why it is very important to read the rules. That’s exactly what the cheat sheet represents. Regardless if you have an online form or a pocket size poker cheat sheet, the main goal here is to learn from it and use its knowledge.

That way, you can play Hold’em, Omaha poker, or any other poker variant and come out on top. Because poker is known for its massive rewards, every extra bit of information can be extremely helpful.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have a printable PDF of a cheat sheet when playing an online poker tournament?

Yes, you can have a printable PDF of a cheat sheet when you participate in a poker tournament.

Do poker strategies guarantee you a win?

Poker strategies might increase your chances of winning, but they cannot guarantee you a win. After all, there are plenty of factors in play and it is impossible to have a guaranteed win. That is what makes online poker such an entertaining game.

Can a poker cheat sheet for beginners be helpful?

Considering the fact that cheat sheets provide you with valuable poker information, you should definitely use them, especially if you are a beginner. Thanks to cheat sheets, you will get introduced to the game of poker faster.

Are cheat sheets allowed in poker?

Yes, all Ultimate Texas Hold Em cheats are allowed. You can use them at any time and since they are legal, you can opt-in for them as they can increase your chances of winning.

Is poker a luck-based game?

Even though poker has a luck factor in it, this game relies heavily on skill. Some of the traits that you must possess include strategic thinking, knowing when to check, raise and fold, reading your opponents and learning how to bluff.