Rules of Don Juan Poker

Don Juan is a variation to standard draw poker, normally played with between three and eight players.

In terms of the initial deal, each player is dealt three cards face down followed by a round of betting. These are cards that are private to each player. Then starting left of the dealer, each player has the opportunity to discard any of their cards and draw replacements from the deck. This is followed by a betting round and then showdown.

The game is very similar to that of 5 Card Draw in that you can draw replacements. The key difference between this game and 5 Card Draw is that with 5 Draw, you would get dealt five hole cards face down. In Don Juan, you only get dealt 3 hole cards.

You have the option of choosing whether to discard one, two or all of your cards. Much like other draw variations, the number of cards that you draw is often used as a marker by opponents to determine the strength of a players hand. As there are only three hole cards dealt and no wild cards, a player who draws all three cards is unlikely to hit a monster hand. Another difference from five card draw is that players would attempt to make the lowest hand in this game.

The best low hand is A-2-3 and as there are only three hole cards dealt, it is not possible to make a flush or straight in the game.

To date there is no online room that offers an online version of this game but it is a fun game and would be a great addition or alternative at any home game.

If you are interested in seeing what the online arena has to offer, check our listings of games played online.