Poker Hand Rankings
Hand Rankings (Highest to Lowest)
1. Royal Flush—A K Q J 10, same suit; unbeatable
2. Straight Flush—5 sequential cards, same suit (e.g., 5-6-7-8-9)
3. Four of a Kind—4 cards of same rank + 1 kicker
4. Full House—3 of a kind + a pair (e.g., KKK-77)
5. Flush—5 cards same suit, any order
6. Straight—5 sequential cards, mixed suits
7. Three of a Kind—3 cards same rank + 2 kickers
8. Two Pair—2 different pairs + 1 kicker
9. One Pair—2 cards same rank + 3 kickers
10. High Card—No combination; highest card plays
Starting Hands (Texas Hold'em)
AA (Pocket Aces)—Best starting hand; raise always
KK (Cowboys)—2nd best; raise pre-flop
QQ (Ladies)—Very strong; raise, beware of A/K flop
JJ (Hooks)—Strong but vulnerable to overcards
AKs (Big Slick, suited)—Premium drawing hand; raise
AKo (Big Slick, offsuit)—Strong; raise pre-flop
TT-88 (Medium Pairs)—Play for set; raise or call
AQs, AJs—Strong suited aces; raise
77-22 (Small Pairs)—Set mining; call, fold to big raises
KQs, JTs—Connected suited; good in position
Positions
Small Blind (SB)—Left of dealer; posts half blind, acts first post-flop
Big Blind (BB)—Left of SB; posts full blind, acts last pre-flop
Under the Gun (UTG)—Left of BB; first to act pre-flop, tightest range
Middle Position (MP)—Between early and late; moderate range
Hijack (HJ)—Two seats right of dealer; wider range
Cutoff (CO)—Right of dealer; second best position
Button/Dealer (BTN)—Best position; acts last post-flop, widest range
Betting Actions
Fold—Discard hand, forfeit pot
Check—Pass action without betting (if no bet to you)
Bet—Place first wager in a betting round
Call—Match the current bet amount
Raise—Increase the current bet (min 2x previous)
Re-Raise (3-bet)—Raise a raise; shows great strength
All-In—Bet all remaining chips
Check-Raise—Check then raise when bet comes back; trapping play
Pot Odds & Math
Pot Odds—Cost to call vs pot size; call if odds > hand odds
Outs × 2 (Turn)—Approx % to hit on next card
Outs × 4 (Flop to River)—Approx % to hit with two cards to come
Flush Draw = 9 Outs—~35% by river, ~19% on next card
Open-Ended Straight = 8 Outs—~32% by river, ~17% on next card
Gutshot Straight = 4 Outs—~17% by river, ~9% on next card
One Overcard = 3 Outs—~13% by river to pair it
Set (Pocket Pair) = 2 Outs—~8.5% by river, ~4.3% on next card
Common Terms
Blinds—Forced bets before deal
Flop—First 3 community cards
Turn—4th community card
River—5th and final community card
Kicker—Side card that breaks ties
Nuts—Best possible hand on board
Tilt—Emotional, poor decision making
Bluff—Bet with weak hand to win pot
Suited—Hole cards of same suit
Connectors—Sequential hole cards (e.g., 8-9)
Texas Hold'em Rules
Each Player Gets 2 Hole Cards—Face down; only you see them
Pre-Flop Betting Round—After hole cards, starting left of BB
The Flop (3 Cards)—3 community cards dealt face up; bet again
The Turn (4th Card)—1 more community card; another betting round
The River (5th Card)—Final community card; last betting round
Showdown—Remaining players reveal; best 5-card hand wins
Best 5 of 7—Use any combo of 2 hole + 5 community cards
Tournament Tips
Play Tight Early—Preserve chips when blinds are low
Widen Range as Blinds Rise—Steal blinds to stay alive
Watch Stack Sizes—Adjust strategy based on chip counts
ICM Awareness—Prize structure affects optimal play near bubble
Position Is King—Play more hands from late position
Don't Go Broke with One Pair—Marginal hands in big pots = trouble
Observe Opponents—Note patterns, bet sizing tells, timing
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