How to Play 5 Card Draw

Five-card draw is a simple poker game. Sometimes a joker is added to the standard deck of 52 cards - depending on the rules being used, the joker can either be played as a bug (can be used to complete straights, flushes or paired with an ace) or as a wild card (it can represent any card of the player's choice).

There are several variations on the rules of play - the most common ones have been noted below.

Playing Five Card Draw Poker

1. At the start of the hand, all players must ante.
2. Each player is dealt 5 cards, all face-down.
3. Action begins with the player to the left of the dealer. Each player may in turn check, bet or raise. In some games, a player must hold a pair of jacks or better to open.
4. The Draw: Following the first betting round, each remaining player (beginning with the one to the left of the dealer and proceeding clockwise) can choose to discard from one to five cards of their hand in exchange for new ones. (Some games limit this to 3 cards).
5. After the draw there is a final round of betting - it is customary for this round to begin with the player who opened the first.
6. The highest hand wins the showdown.