While it may not be as popular as it used to be, 5 card draw poker is often considered the simplest poker game variation and great option for beginners and those who enjoy quick games. This guide will introduce you to 5 card poker rules and how to play 5 card draw poker.
Here are the best online casinos, recommended by our team of experts, for US players who want to play 5 card poker online:
5 Card Draw is one of the oldest poker games in the world, dating back to the middle ages and the Wild West, where cowboys played 5 card draw a matter of course in saloons at the turn of the 19th century.
While 5 Card Draw has been eclipsed in popularity by Texas Hold ‘em, it remains a much-played poker game and it’s only in the 20th century that it was overtaken in popularity so can claim to have been the most popular poker variant in the world for the longest time.
Played often by miners who had spent the day panning for gold 5 Card Draw began with just one betting round at the beginning of the game and no draw. At this time, 5 Card Draw was played with just 20 cards, with the cards ranking from ten up to ace in the four suits. The only hands you could go for were one pair, two pair, three of a kind, a full house and four of a kind. The best hand in this format was four aces or four kings with an ace kicker, since that would eliminate the possibility of a better hand.
With the full deck of cards introduced in the 1820’s, more cards meant more players and drawing cards was introduced, along with additional betting rounds, with a flush and a straight two rankings hands that were added thereafter.
As the Mississippi riverboats become floating casinos, New Orleans became the home of 5 Card Draw and everyone would head to The Big Easy for a game. Popular with soldiers during many world wars, 5 Card Draw remains a hugely social game, and while seven card stud took some of the 5 Card Draw players from the population, online poker brought many more back.
| Poker Hand Name | Cards | Example Hand |
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 – same suit |  |
| Straight Flush | Five sequential cards – same suit |  |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same value, one of each suit – fifth card doesn’t matter |  |
| Full House | Three cards of the same value, and a pair of an additional value |  |
| Flush | Five cards of the same suit – any order |  |
| Straight | Five sequential cards – any suit |  |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same value – other two cards don’t matter |  |
| Two Pair | Two cards of the same value and two cards of a different value – fifth card doesn’t matter |  |
| One Pair | Two cards of the same value – other three cards don’t matter |  |
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Even the most basic online poker variants like 5 card draw come with sound strategies that can help even novice players stay in the game longer, learn basic game flow and, in a best-case scenario, grow their bankroll by winning pots.
Calculated aggressiveness is important in poker. If you have a strong hand, raising can cause other players to fold and increase the 5 card draw pot size.
The amount of cards you’ll need to draw is a good metric for when you should fold or bet. Especially if you didn’t have to post a blind, if you have to draw 3 or more cards, you should consider folding.
If you’re on the fence about your hand, and might fold if there’s action, if there are no bets before you, just ‘check’. This will keep you in the game longer and give you a chance of making it to the draw/showdown phase for free.
In 5 Card Draw, just like in Texas Hold ‘em, you want to be raising more than calling if you’re playing the hand. Plenty of 5 Card Draw players will limp into pots, so by taking early control you can lead the action.
Limping may often be the wrong action, but in 5 Card Draw, there are exceptions to prove that rule. If you complete in the small blind with two or more players in the pot, this is perfectly fine and checking in the big blind is not a bad idea if you feel that raising out of position is going to damage your chances.
In 5 Card Draw, making three of a kind is a kind of baseline aim that you should shoot for, with trips the best chance you have of making a regularly winning hand. By that token, if you’re dealt two queens, two unmatching low cards and a king, you’d be best advised to keep the queens and draw three cards, sacrificing the higher card king for the chance of making a higher value hand.
Given the number of players who limp, if you raise to isolate a weaker player pre-flop, that’s a great strategy too. Here are a few dealt hands and what you should be thinking as you consider how many cards to switch for new ones when its your turn to draw.
When you wager all of your remaining chips into the pot in hopes of either winning the pot or busting out.
Equal bets made by every player at the table before the cards are dealt.
Your stack of chips on the poker table.
The small blind is a bet made by the player directly to the left of dealer, and the big blind is a 2x bet of small blind to the left of the small blind. Blinds must be placed before the cards are dealt to ensure action.
When you pretend to have good cards, but don’t.
When you match the highest active bet.
The tokens on the table that represent a certain value or dollar amount.
When no wager is made and the action is on the next player to the left.
Out of chips.
When you discard up to five of your cards in exchange for new ones.
You surrender your hand and any pending bets on the table.
As a verb, another word for fold. As a noun, the discarded cards on the table.
The player on the button is the dealer.
Emotionally fueled betting, void of reason or strategy; usually trying to make up losses. Avoid this at all cost!
When you match and increase another player’s active bet.
Betting regularly in small increments, typically done when you believe you have a strong hand and you’re try to lure the other poker players in to fattening up the pot.
The best sites where you can play 5 card poker for real USD.
Our collection of the most popular poker variations available for US players.
First, you need to read our online casino reviews and sign up for an account. We review a hypothetical five card poker hand in detail above. Basically, after receiving their cards, a round of betting occurs, after which each player can draw up to five NEW cards to make the strongest five-card poker hand possible. After receiving the new cards, another round of betting occurs. Some players may decide to fold their hand between each round of betting. Remaining players flip over their cards and the one with the best five cards wins the pot.
The best hand for five card poker is a Royal Flush. That is defined as five cards of the same suit, ranked Ace through 10 (ex: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 of Hearts).
It’s called draw poker because after the initial rounds of betting, each player at the table can draw up to five NEW cards to make the strongest five-card poker hand possible.
Depends on your definition of ‘regular poker’ — draw poker hand rankings, best to worst, are royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card.
In some cases yes, but it depends which version of poker online you’re referring to. In our guide above, we review the rules, play a hypothetical hand and explain the best five-card hands possible.
