Five Card Draw is the most common form of poker game. You can play it at a casino or incorporate it into your home game night. Either way, this classic poker variant can provide you with both entertainment and money, which is a win-win situation. However, you must know how the game works in order to make the most out of it.
Five Card Draw Guide
Never underestimate the profitability of a game you can play outside a brick-and-mortar casino. If you gather a group of skilled poker players, you can create a casino-like atmosphere in your own home. Not only will you have fun playing poker in such a surrounding, but you will also be likely to make a profit — provided you know what you are doing.
It does not come as a surprise that you are eager to master this particular variation of poker. Five Card Draw had been dominating the poker scene until Texas Hold ‘Em came into the spotlight. Nevertheless, Five Card Draw is still one of the most popular variants. One can easily come to such a conclusion by watching movies that use gambling for a theme. Therefore, striving towards the goal that brought you here is understandable. Every experienced poker player was once at the beginning of their journey. Luckily for you, I have made sure to list the steps that lead towards that stage.
Five Card Draw Rules
The most important things you need to memorize when it comes to any variation of poker, this one being no exception, are the hand ranking and the moves you can make. We will go through the course of the game, so that you do not get confused about when to do what. Once you are familiar with the course, you will easily comprehend and remember the rules, and incorporate them into it.
Hand Ranking
The poker hand is a combination of cards every player is dealt. In order to enhance your chances of winning, you have to aim for the highest hand possible. Once the dealer starts delivering cards to everyone around the table, you watch and focus. You must know the desirable combinations by heart. Otherwise, you may happen to miss out on the chance to win. Further down the road, you will be able to contemplate the cards you could exchange depending on the outcome you are going for, and the cards you already have. For now, concentrate on memorizing the value of each hand.
Royal flush is the highest possible hand. Regardless of the cards the other players have, if you flash the royal flush, they will not stand a chance against you. The cards you need to have to complete this hand are the five highest ones in the same suit.
Straight flush consists of any five cards of the same suit in sequential order. For instance, if you get cards five through nine of clubs, you have a straight flush.
Four of a kind is a hand that comprises all four sevens, for example. Whether those cards are high or low is irrelevant, as long as there are four of them.
Full house combines three of a kind and a pair.
Flush consists of any five cards, as long as they are all in the same suit.
To complete a straight, you need five cards in sequential order. Their suits and value are irrelevant.
Three of a kind has the same concept as the previously described four of a kind.
Two pair, as you can presume based on its name, includes two pairs.
Pair comprises any two cards of the same rank.
However, if it happens that you do not manage to complete any of the above, the high card plays. Basically, that is the highest ranking card you are holding.
The Course of the Game
Now that you know which combinations of cards you should be chasing, you need to know the way. The game consists of rounds, and each round comprises several phases. Let’s assume the dealer has delivered five cards to each one of you. You glance at your hand and place your bet, and so does every other player at the table. The betting round starts with the player to the left of the dealer, which means they are the first one to lay a wager. This is the point where you can choose to make one of the following moves: check, call, raise or fold. They mean wagering zero, wagering the same amount as the others, raising the bet by wagering more, and quitting the round, respectively.
The next chapter characterizes this particular variation of poker. Once the bets are on the table, the players have a chance of drawing new cards and discarding some of their own. However, this is not an endless process. According to the rules, you are allowed to replace the maximum of three cards. In some cases, if you have an Ace or a wild card, you may be able to dispose of one more. Nevertheless, that clearly gives away one of your cards to the others.
After the second wagering round, the players who have not folded reveal their cards to compare them. The one who ends up having the highest hand wins the pot, which means they get to sweep out the table.
Blind vs Ante
There are two ways of playing Five Card Draw. Which one you play depends on your personal preference or on the place you have chosen for your poker session. For instance, blind games are more common at casinos, whereas a group of friends will more likely play the ante.
Blind game implies incorporating the big and the small blind into the game. The small blind is the player to the dealer’s left. Therefore, they place the first bet, which is subsequently doubled by the big blind. The other players need to follow in the footsteps of the latter in order to participate in the game.
Ante game, on the other hand, dictates placing bets before the cards are dealt. Basically, you wager without knowing if you will get a high hand or a low one. The positive aspect of this variation is that it prevents folding at the beginning, which makes the game more intense.
Spice It up, Introduce the Wild Card
Remember when I mentioned the wild card in the context of drawing cards? Now I am about to explain its concept. The wild card is not an obligatory fragment of the game, but rather an optional one. By introducing it, you introduce diversity into your game.
Nevertheless, the wild card implies certain restrictions. That fact actually adds to the overall element of surprise the wild card represents. The purpose of the wild card is to substitute for another one. However, you cannot use it instead of any random card you get, as it can only replace an Ace or complete a straight or a flush. The most common wild cards are the twos. If you choose this way of playing, you will be playing deuces wild. Another way is to incorporate a joker into the deck or use the one-eyed Jack as the wild card.
To Limit or Not to Limit?
According to your preference, you can choose whether to impose a limit or not. In case you want to monitor the amount of money you are spending, the latter is an option for you. By placing a limit, you can be in control of how much you wager, instead of ending up betting more than you were willing to or more than you can afford.
You can set the limit in two ways. The first one implies determining the minimum and maximum bet. The other one is commonly referred to as placing the pot limit, and it means that the sum of your wager cannot exceed the wagers in the pot.
Mix Things up
Yet another way to play Five Cards Draw is to rank hands in reverse. Therefore, your goal switches from aiming for the highest hand to striving for the lowest one. By playing the game this way, you also rank the cards backwards, so that the lowest ones are the most desirable and can bring the most profit. The purpose of playing lowball is to keep the game going even when nobody has a good hand.
Know Your Way around the Table
Participating in any game counts as a social situation, which means there are some rules of behavior you should play by. Not all games imply the same etiquette, as they differ from one another. For instance, craps players are the loudest ones at a casino, partially because they verbally communicate their moves to the personnel, and partially because the dynamics of the game requires it. However, if you were to behave at the poker table the same way you would at the craps table, you would be considered an undesirable opponent, at the very least. Therefore, you have to mind your manners and behave the way the concept of the game dictates. Fortunately, you do not have to watch movies or observe other players endlessly in order to achieve that goal. Keeping the following pieces of advice in mind would suffice.
Keep Your Cool
Poker is a game of luck and strategy. The latter implies that you must engage your psychological skills in order to be a good poker player. What I am trying to say is — never, under any circumstances, let the other players know or even assume what cards you have. Not only would that be distracting and immature, but it could also easily backfire. If you give to your opponents an insight into your hand, you would automatically prevent yourself from gaining an advantage. Everyone would know what moves to expect from you, which would make you unable to stay focused and remain mysterious, which leads us to…
Being Mysterious
This relies on the psychological tactics I was referring to. Every poker player makes an attempt to read the other ones. They do it to try and base their strategy on the facial expressions of their opponents. Therefore, you have to make yourself difficult to read. The way to achieve this is to maintain the poker face. Basically, show no emotion whatsoever and keep them to yourself. You do not want to make the game easier and more lucrative for your opponents, do you?
Be Unpredictable
Another psychological trick that can come in handy implies acting the way no one would expect. Make it as difficult as possible for your opponents to predict your next move. Basically, what you need to do is to go against logic at times. For instance, when you have a low hand, place a bigger bet than you normally would under such circumstances. Develop a strategy of making a move nobody could see coming. Draw more cards than you actually need. Of course, do not get carried away. Apply these tricks occasionally, just to throw other players off track.
The Clock Is Ticking
The game of poker is quite dynamic, although it may seem slow when observed from afar. The point of the game is to be entertaining, and not any different from other pastime activities. Therefore, try not to make decisions too slowly, unless you want everyone, including yourself, to get bored. Do not get me wrong, there is no need for you to make decisions hastily. I strongly advise you against jumping into anything. Take your time and decide how much to wager or which move to make, but do not drag it out.
Mind Your Manners
When you take the number of people who participate in the game, you understand that it is necessary to point out the importance of behaving politely. Respect the nature of the game and do not make excessive noise. Poker is a game that requires a lot of thinking, so noises would break everyone’s concentration — which would be extremely irritating. When you decide to fold, dedicate your time to observing the rest of the round. Paying attention in class always pays out.
Do not get carried away when you are on a roll or become irritable when you happen to be on a losing streak. Gambling implies taking risks, so deal with it or do not gamble at all. Sometimes you will win, other times you will not, but that is a part of the game. Not only should you not brag about your winnings, but you ought to remain dignified when you place your bets as well. Everyone should be able to easily count the amount of money on the table, so do not throw your bets on top of it on purpose.
To put it simply, be a poker player you would be want to have as your opponent.
Shuffle the Cards
In conclusion, Five Card Draw is a simple poker variant that has enough diversity to keep everyone entertained. It is a great option when you are looking for a classic game to bring you money. Even though the rules are not difficult to memorize, there is enough variety that could easily become an obstacle and confuse you if you do not pay attention. Therefore, do not place your money in the pot until you feel confident enough to play for real money.