Five-Card Draw is one of the easier versions of poker to learn. In fact, most people have a general sense of how this game is played, even if they aren’t poker players. This is the game of most video poker machines, and the most common household form of poker.
The game may start with an ante, and the two players to the left of the dealer putting up the small and big blinds. The dealer than deals in up to eight players, dealing five cards to each player, face down, starting with the player to his immediate left. Players then view their hands privately, and the first round of betting takes place. After betting is complete, those who have not folded have the option to discard one, two, or three of their cards for an equal amount of new cards. You can also “stand pat,” and keep your original five cards.
After the draw has gone around to every player, a second betting round takes place, beginning again to the left of the dealer. At the end of betting, players reveal their hands and the best poker hand wins the pot.
There are numerous versions of Five-Card Draw. For instance, some versions dedicate a wild card or some versions allow up to five discards, while other only allow three. Because this game is so widely played, it is one of those games in which it is hard to find a consensus on the rules. Many online poker rooms offer this game, though, so if you are going to play online, just make sure you check out the rules of the game on that particular site before you sit down at a table.
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