Have you always loved the idea of playing Poker? But then felt a little overwhelmed when it came to learning the rules? Well, then you’ll be sure to love 5 Card Draw! 5 Card Draw is often considered the simplest version of Poker.
Now, this isn’t a bad thing because the game is still plenty of fun. It’s also a very strategic card game and plenty of fun for just two players. But if you want to see how fun 5 Card Draw can be, it’s best played with a group.
What is 5 Card Draw?
5 Card Draw is a variant of Poker, and while it’s not classic Poker, it’s one of the most popular versions of the game. The more straightforward rules are easier to understand, and 5 Card Draw is often used in Video Poker.
5 Card Draw isn’t played much by professional Poker players. But it’s a great game to play with friends and family. Plus, once you learn the rules, you’ll find more complicated Poker versions easier to play.
The exact origin of 5 Card Draw isn’t known. But it’s safe to assume it was created to make classic/ traditional Poker easier to play for beginners. But while the game might be famous for its simplicity, there is still a lot to learn.
But before we take a good look at how you play 5 Card Draw, we’ll take a quick look at what you’ll need to play.
What You’ll Need To Play
To play 5 Card Draw, you’ll need a deck of playing cards. 5 Card Draw doesn’t use the Joker cards either, so you’ll be playing with the standard 52 card deck.
Any kind of playing cards can be used, and the game even lends itself to themed decks like these Mythical Creatures cards. But you can also easily play with traditional playing cards like these from Maverick.
You’ll also need Poker chips for betting. You don’t strictly need to use chips, but they’re the traditional choice. Poker chips are easy to find online and to ensure you have enough, we recommend a larger set like this 100 piece chipset.
5 Card Draw Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
The aim of the game of 5 Card Draw is to win chips from your opponents. But to do this, you’ll need to play strategically and remember, just like in traditional Poker, you can quite easily win even with a bad hand. Let’s take a look at the rules and gameplay in more detail.
Setting Up
To set up 5 Card Draw, one player should be chosen as the dealer. The dealer will usually be selected at random, or you can shuffle the deck, and then players can choose a card. The person with the highest card will then be the dealer.
Once the dealer has been chosen, each player should be dealt an equal amount of chips and five cards. Cards should be dealt one at a time. Before the game starts, players should agree on the ante for the game.
The ante is how many chips you’ll need to bet each round. For casual at-home games, we recommend sticking to an ante of one chip per round. Once everything is ready, the fun can begin and you can start playing!
Hand Values
Before we talk about how the gameplay works, it’s essential that anyone playing 5 Card Draw understands the hand values. The hand values in 5 Card Draw are the same as other versions of Poker like Texas Hold’em.
They can be a little confusing to remember initially, but it will get easier the more you play. Refer to the grid below to see all the hand values. The list is ordered from the highest value to the lowest.
| Hand Value | Description |
| Royal Flush | When you have the 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace in the same suit. |
| Straight Flush | When you have five cards in a sequence and the same suit. |
| 4 of a Kind | When you have four kinds of the same rank. |
| Full House | When you have three of a kind and a separate pair of cards. |
| Flush | When you have five cards in the same suit. The cards aren’t in sequence. |
| Straight | When you have a sequence of five cards. The cards aren’t the same suit. |
| 3 of a Kind | When you have three cards of the same rank. |
| Two Pair | When you have two separate pairs of cards. |
| One Pair | When you have two cards of the same rank. |
| High Card | When you can’t make any other hand, the value is based on your highest card. |
Gameplay
To start the round, each player should place one of their chips in the center. Players can then look at their hands and decide what they want to do next. The player to the left of the dealer will go first.
Players can add another chip, increasing the bet or check, which means they are still in the game but haven’t increased the stake. Once one player raises the bet, players can no longer check.
A player who can’t increase the bet or doesn’t want to carry on can fold. This effectively means they are giving up on their current hand. To fold, players simply place their cards in the center. Once one round of betting has been completed, any players still in the game can discard cards from their hand.
Player’s will always need a hand of five cards, though. So, if you discard one card, the dealer must deal you one more. If you discard two cards, you will be dealt two more, and so on. Under traditional rules, if you are playing with a group of 6 or more, the maximum number of cards you can discard is three.
The betting continues after this. However, a player can also call the bet as well. When the bet is called, all player’s who remain in the game must reveal their cards. The player that has the highest value hand wins all the chips currently bet.
If two (or more) players have equal value hands, then the pot’s chips will be split between the winners. You can start a new game after this and have the chance to increase your winnings as well!
Stripped Deck
5 Card Draw also has its own variants, with one of the most popular being the stripped deck version. With this version of the game, you only use the 2 – 7 numbered cards and the Aces. This version is designed for smaller groups and limits the variety of card combinations.
It will also alter the hand values as well. For example, you won’t be able to get a royal flush with this version of the game. This means the straight flush is the highest value hand in the game. Like always, we recommend playing with the traditional rules first.
But the Stripped Deck rules can be a fun option for later on. 5 Card Draw also lends itself well to house rules. So, if you enjoy adding house rules in your Monopoly games, you can get creative with 5 Card Draw as well.
5 Card Draw – Beginner-Friendly Poker
5 Card Draw is a really great way to get used to the rules and basic gameplay or Poker. But it’s also a fun and strategic game in its own right. Once you remember the hand values, you’ll be sure to have fun outwitting your opponents. If you love fast-paced card games like Spit, you need to try 5 Card Draw!
