Five Card Draw

Overview

Introduction

Draw poker is probably the oldest form of poker. In five card draw, you do not get to see any of your opponents' cards. The only information you have about their hands is how they bet and how many cards they draw.

The Game

In five card draw, you get five cards face down. You may discard some or all of them and receive a corresponding amount of new cards. The player with the best high hand wins the pot.

Blinds

Five card draw is played with blinds. Before the cards are dealt, the first two players to the left of the dealer post a small and a big blind respectively to create a starting pot.

The deal

When the blinds have been posted, each player is dealt five cards.

The draw

When the first betting round is finished, each player who remains in the hand has the right to draw one to five new cards, or not draw (stand pat). The draw starts with the player to the dealer's left.

If more than one player remains in the hand after the second betting round, there is a showdown. The best high hand wins the pot.

Game Advice For Five Card Draw

Choose your hands

A common advice is to not open the betting with less than a high pair in your hand. And if someone else opens the pot, you need at least that to call.

Do not be an open book

If you have a pair and draw three cards, the other players will know that you have a pair. If you always draw two cards when you have three of a kind, again your hand will be easy to read. The same goes if you never stand pat unless you have a made hand.

By varying the number of cards you draw, you keep your opponents guessing.

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