Rules of 5 Card Draw

5 Card Draw is a great game, although falls someway behind many of the more popular games like Hold'em or Omaha. Whilst sliding down the popularity ladder, by comparison, if it's your game, there are still sites offering it online. Check and see which poker sites offer 5 Card Draw.

The history of the game dates back quite a long way and it hasn't changed a great deal over the years. For a new player, it's a pretty straight forward game to pick up. The game is normally played with a maximum of 8 players. Each player is dealt 5 cards face down. There is then the first round of betting. There are two betting rounds in each deal. Those players who stay in on the first round have a chance to change or improve hands by replacing none, some, or all of their five cards that they were dealt.

After this first betting round, players can discard any of their five cards and receive replacement cards for those that are exchanged (this is called the draw). It is entirely up to each player how many cards they want to exchange and is largely dependant on what cards a player is dealt. After the draw there is then another round of betting and then the showdown, for players who stayed in the hand. The player with the highest five card poker hand wins the pot.

5 Card Draw Strategy

5 Card Draw being played on PokerstarsThe strategy of the game is a little more complex and the psychology is different to community card games such as Holdem or Omaha, in that the biggest indication as to the strength of your hand (from your opponents perspective) is down to the number of cards that you exchange. In short, if you exchange none, you will be perceived to have a very strong hand, and if you exchange all of them, you will not be given much credit for a hand (even though you may be re-dealt a monster). It is also common for more deceptive plays to be seen like not changing any of your cards even though you have no hand. Good players will try to manipulate what opponents perceive them to have and when used right can be very effective. For instance, if you are dealt rubbish across your first deal, it can be more profitable to exchange one card or none to give the impression you have a hand. The principles of poker are still very much the same. Get all other players to fold and you win the hand. The art of bluffing certainly takes a new dimension compared to community card games where the majority of cards are on the board and not in a players hand.

Betting Structure of 5 Card Draw

The betting begins after five cards have been dealt to each player. These cards are all dealt face down. Once all bets have been equalized the active players draw to their hands. There is then a second round of betting followed by the showdown. See poker hand rankings if you are looking for more on the order of merit of poker hands.

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