Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Rules
• Part 2 of 3: Getting Started
• Part 3 of 3: Using strategy and knowing etiquette
• Tips
• Warnings

Five card draw poker is one of the classic varieties of poker. It was the draw that was the most popular poker game until Texas Hold'em conquered the world. These games are similar, but at the same time, the differences are quite significant. In this article, we'll discuss the basics of the game, strategy, etiquette, and more. So grab your chips, chips and take out your wallet. Are you ready to play?

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Rules

1. 1 Remember the hand hierarchy. If you've never played poker before, the first thing to remember is the hierarchy of poker hands.If you do not know them, you will not realize that you have a winning combination! So before diving into the specifics of a five-card draw, let's start with the lowest hand:
   • High card (essentially nothing at all)
   • Pair
   • Two pairs
   • Troika
   • Straight
   • Flash
   • Full house
   • Street flash
   • Royal Flash
   • Five cards of the same rank (if you are playing with a joker)
2. 2 Understanding the essence of the game. Hands you now know how to play? Well, for starters, your goal is to make the strongest hand. Here are the basics, and we'll get to the more advanced stuff in the next section (Getting Started):
   • The dealer deals 5 cards to each
   • Initial bets are made
   • Players exchange a certain number of their cards for new ones, trying to get the strongest hand possible
   • Another round of betting takes place
   • Those who continue to play show their hands
   • The player with the strongest hand wins the pot
3. 3 Understanding the difference between playing with the blinds and playing with antes. In a five-card draw, you can use both options, it all depends on how the players themselves agree.
   • In a blind game, the player to the left of the dealer is called the "small blind". He makes his first bet (small and half the big blind) "before" the cards are dealt. The player to the left of the small blind is called the "big blind", he also bets before the cards are dealt, and is bet twice the small blind. Players who want to participate in the round must post at least the big blind.
   • In an ante game, “each player” must bet a predetermined amount before the cards are dealt. This encourages playing more hands, at least in the beginning.
4. 4 Check, call, raise and fold. After the dealer has dealt you five cards and it's your turn to decide what to do, you have three options: call, raise, or fold. In making this decision, each player is guided by their own considerations, for example:
   • Check - in fact, when checking, the player just bets 0. If none of the players has bet anything yet, you can check. If someone has already bet, you cannot check, and you need to call, raise or fold.
   • Call - you answer a bet made by another player. If one of the players made a bet of 10 rubles, then in order to continue playing, you need to call and level his bet, i.e. also put 10 rubles.
   • "Raise" - you raise another player's bet. If one of the players bet 10 rubles, and you bet 15, you raised the bet by 5 rubles, if other players want to continue playing, they must at least level your bet.
   • Fold - you discard cards and exit the game. You won’t win money on this hand, but you won’t lose any more.
5. 5 Jokers. 5 Card Draw is a fun game, but using jokers makes it even more unpredictable and difficult. Just make an appointment in advance and make sure that all players agree to play with jokers. If you are playing with jokers, theoretically you can collect "five cards of the same rank" - the best possible in poker.
   • Some players use deuces as jokers, others remove the first card from the deck and use the remaining three cards of the same rank as jokers. Still others add a joker card (using 53 cards in the game).
   • If you decide to play with jokers, agree if there will be any restrictions. The joker can only be played instead of an ace or to make a straight or flush, it cannot simply be any card at the discretion of the player.
6. 6 Consider the limits. Options again! If you want to control the amount of money in the game, agree on some limits. But this is by no means necessary! Although it can limit losses. Again, there are three options:
   • Unlimited - everything is clear.
   • Limit - players determine the minimum and maximum bets - in the first and second rounds they may differ.
   • Pot limit... The bet cannot exceed the amount already in the pot.
7. 7 You can try playing lowball. That is, the player's goal is to collect the "weakest" possible hand. If everyone checks, but no one wants to play their hand, you can switch to lowball.
   • In this variation, aces are the lowest cards (usually the highest), straights and flushes are not counted. So the weakest hand is A-2-3-4-5. You have no pairs and 5 is your highest card. Womp womp.

Part 2 of 3: Getting Started

1. 1 Get together with your friends. A five-card draw is best played with six, although 4-8 is fine too. You can also play two or three. Clear the dining table, seat the people. They all know how to play, right?
   • If not, show this page and submit somewhere for 5 minutes. Or let them play without understanding anything, and you just take their money!
2. 2 Get something for your bets. If you don't have poker chips at home, you need to come up with something. Paper clips? So, each costs 5 rubles. Nuts? 10. Most importantly, do not eat them in thought.
   • It would be nice to have in the game "chips" of various denominations: 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1, although it's up to you. Before placing a bet, clearly state how much you are betting and monitor the accuracy of your bets.
3. 3 Decide on the blinds or antes. Have you read the first section? So what did you decide? Blinds or Antes? In the end, the game is the same, it's just easier to refuse the blinds.
   • If you choose the blinds, be sure to make sure that the dealer, small blind and big blind on each hand move one space further clockwise. The small blind should become the dealer, the big blind should become the small, the next player on the left becomes the big blind. All clear?
4. 4 Let the dealer shuffle the cards and let the player to his right to "cut" the deck. Mix the cards well! Then deal 5 cards to each player, "starting with" the player on the left.
   • Who will be the dealer? Good question. This can be determined in different ways: by age, at will, or simply give everyone a card and the dealer will be the player who gets the highest card.
5. 5 Start the first round of betting. Okay, you've decided on the blinds or antes, the cards are dealt and the bets begin. If you are playing with the blinds, have the player to the left of the blinds speak first. If with ante - the player to the left of the dealer.
   • Let's say A, B, C, and D are playing. Player A (to the left of the dealer) checks. B can also check (by betting 0), but he bets 5. Then C must either bet 5 (or more) or fold, he folds. D answers, also betting 5. Now word A "again" - he hasn't made any bets yet and now has to call, fold or raise. He answers.
6. 6 Start exchanging cards. Now all the players have either bet or folded, so it's time to switch cards. The players give the dealer those cards that they do not need, in return they receive the same number of cards. Each hand always contains 5 cards. The dealer starts from the left as always.
   • In some varieties, you can change no more than 3 cards, in others - no more than 4 if there is an ace. Third, you can change all 5. Players decide and agree on their own.
7. 7 Start the second round of betting. Everyone now has new hands and a new round of betting begins, with the same player as before. Everything goes the same, only the rates are usually higher. Let's continue our example:
   • If you remember, C folded, the others play. A bets 5, B also bets 5 and D bets 10. A folds, B calls (adding 5) and raises by 15 (he bets 20 in total). D responds by adding 15.
8. 8 Time to show your hands! Usually the first to show his hand is the "aggressor" (in this case - B). The second player (or other players) also reveals his cards, the winner takes the pot.
   • The second player can admit defeat and not reveal his cards. This adds an element of the puzzle.

Part 3 of 3: Using strategy and knowing etiquette

1. 1 Never show your cards, even if you fold. This is poker rule # 1. Do not do that. If you have revealed your cards, other players may, firstly, begin to guess when you are playing, and when you fold, and secondly, what other cards are left in the game. So just don't do it.
   • If you shouldn't, don't show anything. Psychology plays no less role in this game than luck and strategy. So let's move on.
2. 2 Train your poker face. These guys on TV are sitting at a table in hoods and sunglasses for a reason. If you can, make it so that you cannot be "read".Or pretend. The people at the table, of course, are trying to figure you out, so you shouldn't oversimplify their task.
   • Never get annoyed and don't let your feelings run wild. Good hand? OK. Bad? OK. Absolutely average? OK. There is no place for emotions in poker.
3. 3 Vary your strategy. Beginners sometimes win, and this is due to the fact that they have not yet developed any strategy for the game, they act impulsively and other players cannot figure them out. From time to time, it is worth varying the strategy of the game in two ways: me bets and changing cards.
   • The bets are pretty straightforward. Bet sometimes with a bad hand, more often don't. Sometimes raise big, sometimes fold right away. Raise where you can call, call where you can raise. The possibilities are endless.
   • How many cards you change actually says a lot. If you change one card, your opponents will most likely think that you have two pair, or maybe a flush or straight draw. All of this can be used as a strategy.
4. 4 Do not pull on the rubber. Of course, before making this or that decision, everyone needs to think, but every time it is ugly to waste someone else's time. The game is more interesting when it goes fast. Don't know what to do? Take a chance, this is learning.
5. 5 Be polite. Poker players take their game very seriously. Have you ever walked into a poker room and started making noise? You will be immediately kicked out the door. Be polite. Do not make noise, do not distract the players, keep a low profile. People are trying to make money.
   • In general, be quiet. Dumped? Sit and watch the game, let them play their hand. You can learn a lot by watching the players.
   • No need to sprinkle chips on the table. If you are betting, place your chips in the middle of the table in a neat stack. So it will be easier for everyone to count, plus it will be more convenient for everyone.
   • Learn how to win and lose. Crushed to smithereens? No need to repeat this, otherwise they will not want to play with you, and you will lose money. Have you been defeated? So what, play it again, but in the meantime, you may have learned something.

Tips

• If you don't want to gamble, come up with an alternative: chips, paper clips, matches, whatever.

Warnings

• You can lose a lot in poker, be careful and don't lose your head.