Draw Poker Variations: Five Card Draw
One of the most iconic images of poker is a group of friends sitting at the table having a good time playing poker (of course, there’s always a chance your mind’s eye has the “Friend in Need” painting with dogs sitting around a poker table!) And when friends get together to play poker, the chances are good that they game they play will be “Five card draw”.
Five card draw usually is the first poker variant learned by players. The rules are easy to understand, it’s easy to play with little money, there aren’t too many betting rounds, and it encourages socialization by keeping people in the game. It doesn’t enjoy much playing time in casinos and in tournaments but that’s ok because there are plenty of homes that’ll welcome it every Friday night.
In a five card draw poker game, players ante up and are dealt a five card hand face down before the betting starts. Cards are usually hidden until the game is over. Then players look to see what they have, there’s a round of betting / folding, and all remaining players get to replace a few cards if they wish (by “drawing” news ones). Then comes the showdown. At that point, the player who didn’t fold (or the one who has the best hand) wins.
When played at home (in a bar, or a dusty saloon), “house rules” are common. Sometimes there’s a limit on the number of cards you can replace at a time, or even the number of cards that you can replace during a game. Dealing from the bottom of the desk is absolutely forbidden and can get you taken out of the game (if not taken out in real life!)
Even though five card draw isn’t that popular in casinos or tournaments, it’s still played there on a limited basis. Games usually start with a big blind and the round begins to the dealers left. To keep the game honest and avoid misunderstandings, players will put a chip on the cards they want to keep when they draw cards.
Basic strategy is observing how many cards a player draws. The most common rule is you can replace up to three cards. If one replaces three, you can be almost certain that player holds nothing better than a pair. If they draw one card, they are either going for a straight or a flush, or perhaps they have two pair. If they draw two cards, three of a kind might be in their hand (watch out!) Of course, it can all be a bluff – maybe that person taking zero cards on the draw (and bets big) is holding nothing. That’s part of the fun.
So there you have one of poker’s most venerable games. May you have many enjoyable (and profitable) games with Lady Luck in the future!
