Back when poker was played by cowboys and hustlers, five card draw was the game of choice. Indeed, watch any old western and you’ll most likely see the protagonists engaging in some form of draw poker.

While draw poker has fallen out of favour with many of today’s players, there is still some value to learning the mechanics of the game. Unlike Texas Hold’em or Pot Limit Omaha, draw poker does not involve any community cards. All the action takes place in two separate rounds: before the draw and after the draw.

Each player starts off with five hole cards which they must assess the value of. If they like their hand, then they must wager the minimum bet (which will equal the table stakes) and proceed with the second phase of the hand: the draw.

During this part of the game, you can exchange as few or as many cards from your hand as you want. At this point, it is crucial to watch the other poker players at your table to see how many cards they take. The reason for this is that, the more cards they take, the less likely they are to have a good hand.

Once the draw has been completed, the betting resumes, with the player in or closest to the blinds being the first to act. At this point, everyone left in the hand has the option of folding, calling, or raising. This dynamic continues until everyone has either folded or matched the final bet.

A showdown then occurs, and whichever player has the strongest hand, according to the poker hand rankings chart, wins the pot.

For many modern players the game of Five Card Draw might seem a little tame. However, if you can master the basics, you will find it is a great place to add some easy dollars to your bankroll.

More Poker Articles:

Starting Hand Charts - Good or Bad?
I‘ve always been an advocate of the idea that in the hands of a good enough poker player,
pretty much any hand can be a winner. Read More...