Five-card Draw is one of the most classic poker games there is. Until the birth of Texas Hold'Em it dominated the betting scene. It is similar, but takes on a very different tone. In this guide, we will talk about the basics, not-quite-bases, behavior and strategy. So grab your poker chips and open your wallet. Are you ready to play?
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Learning the Rules
Step 1. Memorize your hand scores
If you are completely new to the poker scene, you need to know the rankings of the various hands before doing anything else. If you don't know, you may have a winning hand and not even notice it! So before we analyze anything specific about 5-cards, let's establish a hierarchy of hands, starting with the lowest:
- High card (practically nothing)
- A pair
- Two couples
- Three of the same type (Tris)
- Ladder
- Color
- Full house
- Four of the same type (Poker)
- Color scale
- Royal flush
- Five of a kind (if you play with jokers)
Step 2. Know the essence
So, now that you know the hands, how do you go about playing the actual game? Well, for starters, they try to make the highest ranked hand possible. Here are the basics, and we'll get to the specifics in the next section (Game Setup):
- The dealer deals 5 cards each
- The initial bets are made
- Players request new cards, discarding a portion of their old cards, forming the best possible hand
- Another round of betting is made
- The players still on the field show their cards
- The player with the best hand takes the pot
Step 3. Understand the difference between blind and ante modes
5-card poker has two possible variations when it comes to starting each new round: blind or ante. It's just a matter of personal preference - or the feelings of your friends!
- In blind play, the person to the left of the dealer is called the "small blind". This person places a bet (usually very small and always half the "big blind") before each hand is started. The person to the left of the small blind is the "big blind" - this also makes a bet before the start of a new hand, but their bet is double the small blind. Anyone who wants to play the hand (after the cards are dealt) must match the big blind to play.
- In the ante game, everyone must place a bet on the pot before the cards are dealt. This discourages leaving the game from the start.
Step 4. Know how to check (check), see (call), raise (raise) and fold (fold)
After the dealer has dealt the five cards and the betting is in progress, you have three options: call, raise and fold. Each has their own strategy for how to proceed, but here's what they mean:
- Checking is a bet of 0. If no bets have been made, you can check. But the moment someone places a bet, then you have to either call, raise or fold.
- Calling is when you tie with the bet on the table. If everyone has bet 10 cents on the pot to play, you bet 10 cents too.
- Raising is when you increase your bet value. If the player to your left has bet 10 cents and you have bet 15, then you have raised your bet by 5. The other players must then match your bet (see) to stay in the game.
- Passing is when you exit the game. You throw your cards on the table and you are done for that turn, no money earned, some lost.
Step 5. Consider the jokers
This type of poker is a lot of fun, but when you introduce jokers an element of surprise and strategy is added. Just make sure everyone agrees on this before starting. This makes it possible to attempt the “5 of a kind” point - the one that is worth the most.
- Some play with 2s as jokers, others draw a card from the deck and the remaining 3 of the same value will be jokers. Others play with a Jack as a joker and still others insert a joker into the deck, thus playing with 53 cards.
- If you want to play with a wild card, decide if there is any kind of restriction; this is identified as a "bug". A joker inserted in the deck could only represent an Ace or be used only to finish a straight or a flush; it cannot be any random number that a player draws.
Step 6. Work with the limits
More variations! If you want to exert some control over the amount of money you put into the pot, you can put some kind of limit in your game. But you don't have to! This can ensure that players do not run out of money, that a great pointer can put others off, and that things get out of hand. There are 3 options again:
- No limit. It explains itself.
- Limit. You decide what the minimum and maximum bets are - and these can vary from round to round.
- Limit on the plate. No bet can be greater than what is already in the pot.
Step 7. Consider playing the lowball variant
In some cases, everyone's hands suck. In this situation, one option is to play the lowball variant - where you try to get the worst possible hand. So if the round is over and no one wants to bet or everyone checks, you can think about switching to this mode.
In this variant, Aces generally become the cards that are worth less (normally, they are the ones that are worth more) and straights and flushes do not matter. So the worst possible hand is A-2-3-4-5. If you have no pairs and 5 is your highest card
Part 2 of 3: Organizing the Game
Step 1. Gather a group of friends
For the 5-card, the ideal is to play with 6 people, but 4-8 is fine too, and you can even go down to 3 if you can't do without it. Clear your living room table, get some chips and get everyone to sit around the table. They all know how to play, right?
If not, show them this page and have them observe for the first 5 minutes. Or let them play and get their money before they know it
Step 2. Find something to bet with
If you don't have any poker chips, you will need to use other items to bet, assigning them a corresponding value. Anything small that you have a good number of is fine. Staples? They are worth 5. And the arahids? 10. Just make sure no one eats them without thinking.
It's a good idea to have items corresponding to 50, 25, 10, 5, and 1, but ultimately that's up to you. Do you want to bet $ 1000 at a time? Do it - just make sure everyone has something to change in order to pay for it. And to make sure everyone meets their bets, make it clear that 1 equals 1 cent or 1 dollar! This definitely makes a difference
Step 3. Play blind or ante play
You read the first section, right? Well, do you want to start the game with a blind or an ante? In the end it is always the same amount of money. It's just easier to be a cop in a blind!
If you choose the blind, make sure you rotate every round. The dealer, small blind and big blind must move one seat to the left each time the cards are returned. Then the small blind becomes the dealer, the big blind becomes the small blind, and the next player on the left becomes the big blind. I got it?
Step 4. Have the dealer shuffle the cards and have the player on his left cut them
Make them mix blankets! Don't stack them. And then the dealer has to hand them to whoever is on his left to have them cut. He then deals 5 cards face down, starting with the player on his left.
Who is the dealer? Good question. You can do it voluntarily, by age, or more simply, the one who draws the highest card before starting the game
Step 5. Begin the first round of betting
Well, so your blinds or antes are set, the first round of cards is dealt, and they start and bet. If you are playing blind, start with the player to the left of the blinds. If you are playing ante, the player to the left of the dealer begins.
Suppose there are players A, B, C and D. Player A (the one to the left of the dealer) checks. B can check (betting 0), but bets 5. C must either bet 5 (or more), or fold; passes. D calls, again betting 5. The game returns to A - he never put down any money - he can call, raise or fold. He decides to see
Step 6. Begin the round of cards
Now that everyone has bet or folded, the card dealing round begins. The players give the dealer the cards they want to swap and he returns them a corresponding number of new cards; the hand is always made up of 5 cards. The dealer starts with the player to his left, as usual.
In some variations, a maximum of 3 cards can be exchanged. In other 4, if you have some ace. In others, all 5 can be changed. The type of variant to play is up to you and your friends
Step 7. The second betting round begins
Now that everyone has their new partial hand, they start betting again, starting with the same person as before. The protocol is the same, only the stakes are higher. Let's take an example as before:
If you remember, C has passed and everyone else is still in play. A bets 5, B bets 5 and D bets 10. A passes and B calls by betting 10 (adds 5 compared to the previous bet). D calls, betting 15 more
Step 8. Start the showdown
(time to reveal the cards). When there are only two more players left, it's time for the showdown. The player who made the last move (in this case B) usually shows his cards first. The second player turns over the cards and the winner takes possession of the pot.
The second player may choose to never flip his cards if he verbally admits that he has lost. This can add an element of mystery and strategy - was he just bluffing? Nobody will know either
Part 3 of 3: Using Strategy and Etiquette
Step 1. Never reveal your cards, even if you have folded
It's just general poker guideline # 1 - don't do this. If you reveal your cards, other players can begin to understand when you fold (and therefore when you don't) and what other cards are probably on the table. It can also be distracting! So don't do it. It is in your best interest after all.
Really, don't reveal anything that you don't have to. This game is more about psychology as it is all about luck and strategy! This leads to the next point
Step 2. Practice with the poker face
Those guys aren't just wearing sunglasses for the Corey Hart channel. Keep your face and body unreadable if you can. Or deceive them. People around you will probably be trying to figure out your style of play - so make it as difficult as possible for them.
The best thing is not to be agitated by anything. If you have a good hand, that's it. If you have a bad hand, that's it. If you have a mediocre hand, this is it. There's no room for feelings in poker, kid
Step 3. Change the way you bet and ask for cards
It's no wonder that new poker players win, in part due to the fact that they don't know what they're doing and haven't yet developed a real strategy. As such, their opponents have no idea what to expect. So change the way you approach the game in two different ways: how you bet and how you ask for cards.
- The bet is pretty straightforward. Sometimes you bet when you have a terrible hand, sometimes you don't. Sometimes he raises sharply, sometimes he folds too easily. Sometimes, he raises when you can call, sometimes he calls when you probably should raise, etc… There are endless possibilities.
- The number of cards you draw is actually quite telling. If you ask for one, your opponents probably think you have two pair or are attempting a flush or a straight. So, even if you thought about asking for two, this could be a strategy. Or viceversa!
Step 4. Don't go around it too much
You can wait a moment to place your bets - everyone needs a minute to rearrange their ideas - but don't waste everyone's time on each round. The game is much more exciting when it runs faster. If you have no idea what you are going to do in a minute, just do it. It is called the learning process.
Step 5. Be courteous
Poker players are very serious about the game. Have you ever seen a poker tournament where there was some noise? You would be escorted out before you can pass. So be courteous. Don't cause a stir, be deliberately distracting or obnoxious. People are looking to make money here.
- In general, be quiet when you are out. If you have passed, you have no interest in joining the fray. Just observe, enjoy observing and let the hand be played. You will learn more while observing than any other way.
- Do not throw on the plate. If you are making a big bet, don't throw your money into the pot; it becomes much, much harder to count. Instead, put it in stacks of 5 or 10. It keeps things clean and simple.
- Accept both wins and losses with peace of mind. Behaviors can easily ruin the game, so don't do it. If you've swept up against them, don't hit them in the face. If you've been badly beaten, politely ask for a rematch. Same time next week?
Advice
- The position to the left of the dealer is the best. If someone to your right bets, you need to put at least the same amount on the table.
- If you don't want to play for real money, you can use poker chips if you have any and if you are playing for points, or if you don't have real chips, you can use checkers.
