5 Card Draw is one of the oldest poker games that dominated the gambling scene throughout the 18th and 19th century before the rise of other poker variants like Texas Hold’em. The game remains popular today due to its simplicity and exciting gameplay. To win, you’ll need to have the best five-card hand at showdown. This guide will cover everything you’ll need to learn how to play the game, including rules, hand rankings, and the best poker strategies to use.
How to Play 5 Card Draw
5 Card Draw is similar to other types of poker games, such as Texas Hold’em, in that the objective is to make the best five-card hand. However, when it comes to playing a hand, this variant is a bit different.
Here is how a hand plays out:
Place Blinds / Ante Bets
Before the game begins, players are required to place blinds or ante bets. If you decide beforehand that you will play with blinds, only two players next to the dealer are required to post blinds. But if you decide to play with antes, every player must place a predetermined amount to contribute to the pot.
First Betting Round
The first betting round starts right after the dealer deals five cards face down to each player. After evaluating their cards, players have three options: to check, call, raise, or fold. If you’re new to poker, and you’re not familiar with these terms we suggest you take a look at the poker terminology guide first.
First Betting Round
The first betting round starts right after the dealer deals five cards face down to each player. After evaluating their cards, players have three options: to check, call, raise, or fold. If you’re new to poker, and you’re not familiar with these terms we suggest you take a look at the poker terminology guide first.
- Check: Pass the action to the next player without wagering
- Call: To match the existing wager in the betting round
- Raise: To increase the size of the existing wager in the betting round
- Fold: To bow out of the game and forfeit the chance to win the pot
Drawing
Once the first betting round is over, the drawing starts right away. Drawing is where you discard the cards you don’t want and replace them with new ones from the deck. The number of cards you can discard depends on the game variant you are playing. In some variants, you can discard up to three cards.
Keep in mind that the discarded cards should be tossed face down. And if the deck runs out of cards, the dealer can reshuffle discarded cards and use them as a new deck. If you don’t want to discard any of your cards, you have the option to “standpat” or simply draw nothing.
Second / Final Betting Round
The second betting round starts right away after the drawing is over. Like the first betting round, players have the option to fold, check, call, or raise. The action starts with the first active player next to the dealer button.
Showdown
Once the final betting round is over, it is time for the showdown. All active players reveal their hands to determine the winner. The highest ranking hand, according to standard poker hand rankings, wins the entire pot.
5 Card Draw Hand Rankings
5 Card Poker hands are the same as in most forms of poker. So, if you already know how to make hands in other variants like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, you won’t experience difficulties while forming hands in this variant. However, if you experience any problems, you can use the 5 Card Draw cheat sheet to remember the order in which they are ranked.
As you rank your hands, you need to keep in mind that suits have no value. This means that Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts, don’t determine the strength of your hand.
5 Card Draw Betting
There are three betting structures in 3 Card Draw Poker: No Limit, Pot Limit, and Limit.
1. No Limit
With this betting structure, there are a few rules regarding the amount of chips you can bet or raise in a betting round. The minimum bet is usually equal to the big blind, while the minimum you can raise must be equal to the size of the previous raise. For the maximum, you can bet as much as you want, including all your chips.
2. Pot Limit
In Pot Limit, the maximum you can bet in a betting round is equal to the size of the pot. For example, if there is $500 in the pot, you can only bet up to $500. When it comes to the minimum bet or raise, it is the same as the No Limit 5 Card Draw. The minimum bet is equal to the blind bet, while the minimum raise is equal to the previous raise.
3. Fixed Limit
The betting limits in Fixed Limit 5 Card Draw are fixed on each street. The fixed amounts are known as small and big bets. The small bet is always equal to the big blind, while the big bet is equal to 2X the big blind. If you are playing a $4/$8 fixed limit game, the small blind would be $2, and the big blind would be $4. Moreover, the amounts you can bet and raise in each round is $4 and $8.
5 Card Draw Poker Rules
The rules of 5 Card Draw may vary slightly depending on the poker site you play, but the following are the most commonly adopted rules:
✅ Blind and Ante bets: By rule, two players at the table must post small and big blind bets before cards are dealt. The player next to the dealer button posts small blinds, while the player next to the small blinds must post big blinds. Players may also agree beforehand if they want to play with Antes. In this case, each player must place a predetermined ante bet.
✅ Betting limits: 5 Card Draw rules dictate that players can bet different amounts, depending on whether they are playing No Limit, Pot Limit, or Limit games.
✅ Dealing of cards: Each player is dealt five cards face down, followed by the first betting round.
✅ Betting actions: In every betting round, players have the option to check, fold, call, or raise.
✅ Drawing: After the first betting round, players may decide to discard up to three cards and draw new ones from the deck. Players may also “standpat” if they don’t want to discard any cards.
✅ Post draw: Drawing is followed by the second and final betting round.
✅ Showdown: Players who are active after the second betting round reveal their cards to determine the winner. The best hand wins the pot.
5 Card Draw Strategy
While 5 Card Draw has simple gameplay, you still need to learn how to win in poker to beat other players. If you are still a beginner, the following strategies and tips will help you increase your chances of success.
1. Tight is Right
One serious mistake that novice players make is playing too many speculative hands. As you probably know, the games play out quickly, which means you will soon run out of chips if you don’t have high-ranking cards. To avoid all this, you need to apply the “tight is right” betting strategy. This strategy requires you to play only the strongest hands and fold the weakest hands.
Example: You can keep playing if your hand consists of matching cards, suited cards, or cards in sequence. Don’t play any other hand unless you are a master at bluffing.
2. Always Raise
Limping/calling the blind bet is not a good betting strategy in poker. This is because it allows small blinds and big blinds with weaker hands to proceed to the next betting round. With so many players still in the betting round, your chances of winning are minimal. If you are the first to enter the pot, you should always raise and make as many players as possible fold. Limping also indicates that you have a weaker hand, giving opponents a slight advantage.
3. Study the Odds
The main objective of discarding cards and drawing new ones is to improve the current hand. This means that if you want to make better decisions, you must study the odds of drawing a better hand.
Example: If you have a pair (low pair or high pair) and draw three new cards, you have a 1 in 3.48 chance of making a better hand.
4. Prioritize Pairs
Playing pairs in 5 Card Draw Poker is better than playing too many hands, which are drawing to Flushes or Straights.
Example: If you have a pair of Kings, you can keep them and discard the rest of the cards. When you draw three new cards and combine them with a pair of Kings, you have a 1 in 3.48 chance of improving your hand. Keeping a low pair is also better than discarding your five cards. When you draw five cards, you may end up with a worse hand.
5. Watch your Opponents
Keeping a close eye on how your opponents behave during the entire betting period can also help you increase your chances of winning.
Example: You can keep an eye on how many cards players have drawn. If a player draws three cards, they could be holding a pair. On the other hand, if they draw two cards, they probably have Three of a Kind. If a player bets aggressively after drawing, it means that they have improved their hands or they are bluffing.