Draw Poker

Draw Poker is any poker format in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing cards.

Draw Poker is perhaps the most famous poker game, often recognized in old movies. It is often the first poker variant learned by most players, especially so in many European countries. Although it is very common in home games through out the world, it is now rare in poker rooms and online dittos (although they are picking up speed at the present). The lowball variations are interesting and are more commonly played in casinos, but the straightforward high game is still available in the new gaming world online.

There are no community cards, and all cards are concealed. Which means that all a player has to go on to decide the strength of their own hand is the opponents' betting pattern and the number of cards they choose to draw. This requires some experience. With the right software, the poker feeling, playing the original game, can be great. Playing with money you can not afford to loose is not recommended at the beginning though, as the advantage a more seasoned player is much bigger in Five-Card Draw than in for example Texas Hold'em (or Omaha Hi/Lo for that matter).

Five-Card Draw

With time a lot of variants of the game has come up, different "house rules" are the norm in different places around the world. Common to all is that there are two rounds of betting, one before and one after the draw. The draw means that each player gets the opportunity to replace cards in their hand, throw them away and get new ones. Here is how one variant is played:

1. A small and a big blind is posted. (Play with ante is at least as common.)

2. Each player is dealt five cards.

3. The first round of betting is carried out. The player after the big blind is first to act. (Some variants states that a player must have a pair of jacks or better to open the betting.)

4. The draw round is carried out. Each player is given the opportunity of changing one to five cards, or to not change any cards at all. (Some variants puts a cap on the number of cards that can be drawn.)

5. After the draw, the second and final round of betting is carried out. The player to the left of the dealer is first to act. (Some variants stipulate that the player that opened the pot before is first to act.)

6. Now the game goes to showdown, and the player with the best high hand wins.