5 Card Draw Rules
Whether you are a novice card player or a professional, you have undoubtedly heard of 5 Card Draw. This type of poker, which varies slightly from traditional poker, is mostly played in home games or online. The simplicity of its rules makes 5 Card Draw a fun and popular game to play.
The rules for a home game of 5 Card Draw differ slightly from those used in an online game. The one thing that distinguishes a home game from an online one is the type of betting used. Home games require players to put up an “ante”, a specific amount of money each player must contribute to the winnings pot. Online games utilize the “blind” method of betting. After each hand, a button will move on the screen will move one space to the left. The player with the button in front of him is the “small blind” for that hand. The player to the small blind’s left is the “big blind” that hand (i.e. if the stakes were $2/4, the small blind bets $2 in the first round of betting and the big blind bets $4).
Although the betting system differs in the home and online versions of 5 Card Draw, there are rules that both have in common. First, there are always 2 betting rounds. The first betting round takes place before any cards are dealt, and you either ante or do blind betting, depending on if it’s a home or an online game. Next, each player is dealt 5 cards, face down. Then, the player to the left of the big blind (in online 5 Card Draw) or the player to the dealer’s left (in home games) gets to play first. That person can choose to call, raise, or fold after looking at their hand. To “call” is to place the same amount of money in the pot that others have. To “raise” is to put more money in the pot than others have, thus challenging the others to equal, or “call”, your bet. To fold is to drop out of the hand, thus losing any money you already contributed to the pot. Any player who didn’t fold during the first round of betting, then has to decide which cards they want to keep, and! which cards they want to exchange, or discard, for new cards from the deck. The number of discards allowed varies between home and online games. The rule for home games is generally no more than three discards; online games allow up to five discards. After everyone has drawn new cards, each player will get a second chance to bet. After the second round of bidding is completed, the players will reveal their hands. The person with the best 5 card hand wins the pot.
