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Learn How To Play Poker

How to Play 5 Card Draw Poker

5 Card Draw is one of the first games played by new poker players, due to its simple poker rules.

Using five pocket (player's) cards, try to make a five-card hand whose value is ranked higher than the hands of the other players. Between two and five players can play.

rule is abbreviation for Rules.

Game Summary

Players: The game is played by 2-5 players.

Deck: A standard 52-card deck is used.

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Betting structures: Five Card Draw can be played as a Limit, Pot limit or No limit game.

Button and blinds: The game is played with a dealer button, a small blind and a big blind just like Texas Hold'em. The player to the left of the dealer posts a small blind and the player to the left of the small blind posts a big blind before the cards are dealt.

The deal: Five cards face down are dealt to each player.

Play: After the deal, the first betting round starts. At the end of the first betting round, each player may discard and draw up to five cards. A second round of betting ensues, followed by the showdown.

Showdown: The winner of the hand is the player who holds the highest hand according to universal poker hand rankings.

Dealing the Game of Five Card Draw

Who shows first?

rule The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who had initiated the action or with the person who had initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise. This simply means that whoever had the last action must show his/her cards first.

Who wins?

In the PlayNow.com poker room, "cards speak." The winner will be decided based on the universal poker hand rankings.

Five Card Draw Blind Rules

rule All players must pay for their blinds in full before they are allowed to get the button. Therefore, the player who had posted the small blind in the prior hand will receive the button on the next deal of any game. However, during heads-up play, the button will alternate between the two players so that no player holds the button two hands in a row.

In the event that a player only has enough money to cover the big blind, that player WILL NOT participate in the hand. The player will be required to purchase more chips in order to play. For example, if the blinds are $0.25/0.50 and a player has exactly $0.50, that player may NOT play.

  • In the event there is a new player to the game, two options could then occur:
    1. If the new player is not seated in the big blind, then he/she may choose to "post" the big blind or "wait." If the player does post, then his/her wager is active. If the player chooses to "wait," he/she will have missed the blind. The missed blind must be reposted prior to the next hand.
    2. If the new player is seated in the big blind, then he/she is treated as such.
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