Hand Rankings
1
Royal Flush
Legendary
The unbeatable hand. A, K, Q, J, 10 — all in the same suit. Odds: ~1 in 649,740 deals.
2
Straight Flush
Legendary
Five consecutive cards in the same suit. Odds: ~1 in 72,193.
3
Four of a Kind
Epic
Four cards of the same rank. Also called "quads". Odds: ~1 in 4,165.
4
Full House
Epic
Three of a kind plus a pair. Ties broken by the triplet rank. Odds: ~1 in 694.
5
Flush
Rare
Five cards of the same suit (not in sequence). Highest card wins ties. Odds: ~1 in 509.
6
Straight
Rare
Five consecutive cards of mixed suits. Ace can be high or low. Odds: ~1 in 255.
7
Three of a Kind
Uncommon
Three cards of the same rank. Also called "trips" or a "set" when using a pocket pair. Odds: ~1 in 47.
8
Two Pair
Uncommon
Two different pairs. The highest pair wins ties, then second pair, then kicker. Odds: ~1 in 21.
9
One Pair
Common
Two cards of the same rank. Most common made hand. Odds: ~1 in 2.4 (42% of hands).
10
High Card
Common
No matching cards. Highest card plays. About 50% of all 5-card hands are high card.
Starting Hand Categories
👑 Premium — Always Play / 3-Bet
AAKKQQ
JJAKsAKo
💪 Strong — Raise Most Positions
TT99AQs
AJsAQoKQs
88ATs
🃏 Playable — Position Dependent
7766AJo
KJsKQoQJs
JTsA9sKTs
A5s
⚠️ Marginal — Late Position Only
554433
22AToKJo
QTsT9s98s
87s76s
13×13 Hand Matrix
Pairs (top-left diagonal)
Premium
Strong
Playable
Marginal
Fold
Upper-right = suited | Lower-left = offsuit | Diagonal = pairs
Key Statistics
11.8%
Odds of flopping a set with a pocket pair
~6%
AKs equity edge over AKo heads-up
80%
AA wins vs KK heads-up (pre-flop)
70%
Overpair wins vs two undercards ("domination")
~50%
Suited connector wins vs two overcards
32%
Odds of hitting a flush draw by river (from flop)
Classic Matchups
| Matchup | Win % | Lose % |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs KK | 82% | 18% |
| AA vs 72o | 88% | 12% |
| KK vs QQ | 81% | 19% |
| AKs vs QQ | 46% | 54% |
| AKo vs JJ | 43% | 57% |
| 77 vs AKo | 53% | 47% |
| JTs vs AKo | 47% | 53% |
| AA vs random | 85% | 15% |
💡 Pro Tip: In a heads-up matchup, the strongest hands (AA, KK) are ~80% favorites. But against a random hand, even AA only wins ~85% — which is why coolers happen!
Beginner Fundamentals
Beginner #1
Play Fewer Hands
The #1 rule of poker. Most beginners play 40–60% of hands. Winning players play 15–25%. Fold more. Patience is profit. If you wouldn't raise with it, don't call with it.
Beginner
Position is Power
Acting last is a massive advantage. The dealer button (BTN) is the best seat — you see everyone act before you. Play tighter from early position (UTG), looser from the button. In poker, position = information = money.
Beginner
Pot Odds Basics
If the call costs less than the pot equity your draw offers, call. On the flop with a flush draw (9 outs), you hit by the river ~35% of the time. If calling costs <35% of the pot, it's profitable. The rule of 4: multiply outs × 4 on the flop = approximate % to hit by river.
Beginner
Folding is Free
The best fold saves money. If the board shows J♠ Q♦ K♥ and you hold 5-7, you can't beat even top pair. Reading the board and knowing when you're beaten is the fastest way to stop bleeding chips. A fold costs nothing; a bad call costs stacks.
Beginner
Smart Bluffing Only
Bluff with purpose, not randomly. Good bluffs: (1) you have outs if called (semi-bluff), (2) the board texture is scary for your opponent, (3) your story is consistent. Bad bluffs: multi-way pots, calling stations, or just because you "feel like it."
Intermediate Concepts
Intermediate
Positional Play: UTG vs BTN
UTG (under the gun) acts first. Play only your top 10–15% of hands. BTN (button) acts last post-flop — open to 25–35% of hands. Middle positions (MP, HJ, CO) scale between. The further from the button, the tighter you play.
Intermediate
Continuation Betting (C-Bet)
If you raised pre-flop, bet the flop often (~50–70% of the pot) regardless of whether you hit. This represents your strong pre-flop range. Use smaller c-bets on dry boards (e.g., A72 rainbow), larger on wet boards. Skip the c-bet in multi-way pots — less fold equity.
Intermediate
Board Texture Reading
Wet board: J♠ T♥ 9♦ — tons of draws, straights possible. Bet big or check-raise to deny equity. Dry board: A♠ 7♦ 2♣ — few draws, bet small. When flush/straight draws complete, re-evaluate your value hands.
Intermediate
Stack-to-Pot Ratio (SPR)
SPR = effective stack ÷ pot size. Low SPR (1–3): commit with top pair or better. Medium SPR (4–9): need two pair+ to stack off. High SPR (10+): careful — sets/flushes/straights needed. In tournament play, SPR forces critical decisions more often than cash games.
Intermediate
Live Tells to Watch
Strength = weakness: Dramatic sighs, reluctant calls often mean strong hands. Speed: Quick bets often mean strong; slow means genuinely thinking (weak or very strong). Chip stacking: Sloppy = loose player. Neat = tight. Best tell: Shaking hands = excitement (strong hand), not nerves.
Intermediate
Bankroll Management
For cash games: keep 20–30 buy-ins for your stake. For tournaments: keep 50–100 buy-ins. Never sit at a table where the max buy-in is more than 5% of your bankroll. Moving down stakes when running bad is discipline, not weakness.
🃏 Remember: Poker is a long-term game. Any session result is just variance. Focus on making good decisions — the money follows good process over thousands of hands.
Your Hole Cards
Card 1
Card 2
Community Cards (optional)
Flop 1
Flop 2
Flop 3
Turn
River
Select your 2 hole cards to calculate win probability