Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings Cheat Sheet: Printable Quick-Reference for Beginners
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings Cheat Sheet: Printable Quick-Reference for Beginners Memorizing the texas holdem hand rankings at home is one thing; recalling them mid-hand, with chi
Memorizing the texas holdem hand rankings at home is one thing; recalling them mid-hand, with chips in the middle and a decision clock ticking, is another. This poker hand rankings cheat sheet is built for live play: print it, keep it beside your screen, and glance at it whenever you need to confirm what beats what in poker.
The Complete Poker Hand Strength Chart
Here are all ten texas holdem hand rankings from strongest to weakest. Golden rule: only your best five cards count, no matter how many you're holding.
| Rank | Hand | Example | How Ties Are Broken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ T♠ | Cannot be beaten; splits only if the board itself is a royal |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ | Highest top card wins |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | Q♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 5♦ | Higher quads win; if tied (shared board), kicker decides |
| 4 | Full House | J♠ J♦ J♥ 8♣ 8♦ | Compare the three-of-a-kind first, then the pair |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 6♦ 3♦ | Compare cards from highest downward |
| 6 | Straight | 8♠ 7♦ 6♣ 5♥ 4♠ | Highest top card wins; A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel") is the lowest straight |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | T♣ T♦ T♥ K♠ 6♦ | Higher trips win; then both kickers in order |
| 8 | Two Pair | A♠ A♦ 9♣ 9♥ 3♠ | Higher pair, then lower pair, then the kicker |
| 9 | One Pair | K♥ K♦ Q♠ 8♣ 5♦ | Pair rank first, then all three kickers in order |
| 10 | High Card | A♣ J♦ 9♠ 6♥ 4♦ | Compare all five cards from highest down |
When to Use
Keep this printable poker cheat sheet on a second monitor or taped beside your keyboard during your first sessions. Check it preflop when you're unsure how hands compare, and again at showdown before you muck a winner. Most players internalize the chart within 10–20 hours of real play — until then, looking is free and folding a winner is not.
Tie-Breakers, Kickers, and Split Pots
The rules most beginner guides skip:
- Kicker defined: your side card that doesn't form the main hand breaks ties. A♠ K♦ on an ace-high board beats A♥ 9♣ because the king kicker plays.
- Suits never break ties. Spades are not "higher" than hearts in Texas Hold'em. Two identical five-card hands chop the pot, full stop.
- Best five cards only. You build your hand from seven cards (two hole cards plus five community cards). The leftover two cards are irrelevant.
- The board can play. If the five community cards make the nuts — say, a straight on board — everyone still in the hand splits the pot regardless of their hole cards.
Common Mistakes: Three Beginner Mix-Ups
| # | Mix-Up | The Rule You Need | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thinking a straight beats a flush | Flush always outranks straight — flushes are mathematically harder to hit | K♦ 9♦ 6♦ 4♦ 2♦ beats 9♠ 8♣ 7♦ 6♥ 5♠ |
| 2 | The two-pair trap ("I have three pairs!") | Impossible — you play exactly five cards, so only your top two pairs count | On a board of A♣ A♦ 9♥ 9♣ 5♠, your pocket 2♦ 2♠ is counterfeit; you play aces and nines |
| 3 | The wrap-around straight | Straights cannot wrap; the ace is high or low, never both | K-Q-A-2-3 is not a straight and loses to any real one |
Print It and Drill It
This page is designed as a one-page, printer-friendly reference. For best results, print in landscape on US Letter or A4, choose grayscale (the chart reads fine without color), and slide it into a plastic sleeve so it survives your desk.
Quick memorization drill (10 minutes a day): shuffle a deck and deal yourself five cards face-up. Name the hand within three seconds. Level up by dealing a full seven-card Hold'em scenario — two hole cards, five community cards — and identifying the best five. After a week of daily reps, you won't need the sheet; after two weeks, you'll spot split pots instantly.
Ready to find out if the rankings have actually stuck? Take our free hand rankings practice quiz at ChainPoker and see whether you can score a perfect 10/10 under time pressure.
- poker hand rankings cheat sheet
- texas holdem hand rankings
- what beats what in poker
- printable poker cheat sheet
- poker hand strength chart