Poker Rules Cheat Sheet

The One-Page Version

Everything you need to sit down and play a hand correctly, with nothing you do not. Bookmark this and stop reading rulebooks.

Hand Order

Royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. The rarer it is, the higher it ranks — which is why four of a kind beats a full house. Full detail in the hand rankings chart.

Table Positions

• Button (BTN) — acts last after the flop. The best seat at the table.
• Small blind (SB) — posts half a blind, acts first after the flop. The worst seat.
• Big blind (BB) — posts a full blind, acts last preflop only.
• Under the gun (UTG) — first to act preflop. Play tight here.
• Cutoff (CO) — one right of the button. Second-best seat.

Betting Rounds

1. Preflop — two cards each, nothing shared.
2. Flop — three community cards at once.
3. Turn — fourth community card.
4. River — fifth and final, then showdown.

Your Options

Nobody has bet: check (pass) or bet.

Someone has bet: fold, call, or raise.

A raise must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise. Going all-in for less is allowed but does not reopen the betting.

Standard Bet Sizes

• Preflop open: 2.5x the big blind online, $10–$15 in a live $1/$2 game.
• 3-bet (re-raise): around 3x their raise in position, 4x out of position.
• Continuation bet: a third to two-thirds of the pot, smaller on dry boards.
• Value bet on the river: two-thirds to full pot when you expect a call.

Pot Odds at a Glance

What share of the time you must win for a call to break even:

• Calling a quarter-pot bet — you need 17%
• Calling a half-pot bet — you need 25%
• Calling a two-thirds-pot bet — you need 29%
• Calling a pot-sized bet — you need 33%
• Calling a double-pot bet — you need 40%

Compare that number to your chance of winning. If your chance is higher, call. Our pot odds calculator does this instantly.

Counting Your Outs

An out is a card that makes your hand a winner. Multiply outs by 4 on the flop for a rough percentage of hitting by the river, by 2 on the turn.

• Flush draw — 9 outs, roughly 36% by the river
• Open-ended straight draw — 8 outs, roughly 32%
• Gutshot — 4 outs, roughly 16%
• Two overcards — 6 outs, roughly 24%
• Flush draw plus gutshot — 12 outs, roughly 48%

Opening Ranges, Simplified

• Early position — roughly the top 12%: big pairs, strong aces, premium broadways.
• Middle position — roughly 18%: add smaller pairs and more suited aces.
• Cutoff — roughly 27%: add suited connectors and weaker broadways.
• Button — roughly 45%: most suited hands, any pair, most aces.
• Small blind — raise or fold; limping in invites trouble you cannot control.

The exact hands by position are in our opening ranges reference.

Live Table Etiquette

• Act in turn, always.
• Announce your action or push chips in one motion — never both, never in two trips.
• Keep your cards visible with a chip on top.
• Do not talk about a hand still in play.
• Tip the dealer on a reasonable pot.

Five Things Beginners Get Wrong

1. Playing too many hands. The most expensive habit there is.
2. Limping instead of raising. Entering a pot without initiative gives up the chance to win it uncontested.
3. Slow-playing strong hands. You win a small pot or none at all.
4. Calling river raises from passive players. At low stakes they have it.
5. Playing above their bankroll. Makes every other mistake worse.

Each of these is unpacked in basic strategy for beginners. If you are brand new, read how to play poker first.