Types of Plays: Drawing Plays
“Drawing plays” refer to the act of drawing cards in an attempt to win. This is mainly done when you currently do not have a good hand, but you are still hoping that Lady Luck will come by and give you the cards you’ll need later in the game (which is always nice of her, wouldn’t you say?)
Let’s say you’re playing seven-card stud, and four of the five cards you now have are spades. Your hand is generally weak, but there’s a fair possibility of drawing another spade to get a flush, which would make your hand very strong (very likely the winner)
That’s the situation - two cards left, and you need a spade. So you stay in the hand, looking for your spade. That’s a drawing play.
Since there are a few other terms that contain “Drawing” or “draw”, let’s go over them so there’s no confusion. “Drawing plays” refers to hands that need more cards to become valuable or to increase their current value. “Drawing cards” means to discard unwanted cards and receive new ones in their place (like in draw poker). The “Draw” or “Drawing hand” refers to the cards in your hand.
An unsuccessful drawing play is called “Drawing Dead”, and it doesn’t refer to drawing your gun last in an Old Western bar, but rather to try to make a hand that can’t/won’t win even if you complete it. What it means is you’re attempting to complete that flush, while your opponent already possesses a hand that beats what you’re going for. You just don’t know it… yet. You’ve already lost because your non-existent flush won’t beat his or her full house, even if you get the card you need. A bluff probably won’t even help you here.
That’s why when attempting a drawing play, you must always keep the cards in other hands in mind. If your opponent(s) already have a good hand showing, then the chances of you drawing a winning hand are slim.
Many poker variations have cards dealt face up, and this is a good opportunity to see what hands your opponents have. You’ll have to use your observation skills and memory to determine the likelihood of remaining good cards. For example, if you see two aces being dealt, you know your own chances of having an ace dealt are reduced since two are out of circulation (unless you’re one of those people who have an ace up their sleeve…)
Bottom line – drawing plays are effective if you have a good chance to complete the hand, and if your opponents don’t have better cards showing. Good luck!
