Rules for playing 5 Card Draw Poker

Five Card Draw is one of the earliest forms of Poker and the game that most modern variations are built on. The speed at which someone can pick up this form of Poker contributed to its popularity. Today Five Card Draw is used by most as an introduction game to teach new players the aspects of the game, although you can find it thrown in here and there on Poker nights as a fun break from the Texas Hold’em and 7 Card Stud games.

To start a game of Five Card Draw each player must pay an ante. After the ante the dealer deals 5 cards to each player. When the deal is finished a round of betting starts in which each player decides if they are going to fold their hand, raise, call or even re-raise. Once the round of betting has finished with all remaining players calling, each player must decide if they want to replace any cards in their hand. The number of cards can vary from 1 to 4 cards. In rare games all 5 cards can be exchanged. The host of the game will inform the players how many cards can be exchanged prior to the game starting.

After all the remaining players have exchanged their cards for new ones a second round of betting begins. When this round of betting finishes the game enters the showdown phase. If more than one player remains in the game then each player reveals their hand and the highest valued hand wins the pot. If only one player remains in the game the cards are tossed into the discard pile without showing their hand. This is done to keep the other players guessing. There is no need to let the other players at the table know you were bluffing.

If 2 or more players have similar hands then the player with the highest card (the kicker) wins. For example if the two remaining players both have 2 pairs and they both happen to be kings and queens then the fifth card would be the determining factor. If that 5th cards happens to be the same in both hands than the pot is split between the winning players.

The game of Poker is a lot of fun and very easy to learn. However knowing how to play and being able to play well are two different things. Developing different strategies, for different situations, perfecting your poker face to hide your excitement or disappointment in your hand are things that could take years to learn.