Here is How to Play 5 Card Draw Poker

Introduced in the early 19th century, 5 Card Draw Poker is one of the simplest Poker variations to try your hands. While the advent of other sophisticated Poker variations such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker has resulted in decreased popularity of 5 Card Draw Poker, it still has plenty of fans across the globe.

In this article, let’s look at everything you need to know about 5 Card Draw Poker, from basics and gameplay rules to 5 Card Draw playing strategies. Read on!

History of 5 Card Draw Poker

As with many other casino classics, 5 Card Draw Poker has been around for quite a while now. 5 Card Draw Poker was first introduced in the American Frontier, in the 19th century. Back then, the game was played using a 20 cards deck, as opposed to today’s standard deck of 52 cards. Also, in the early version, the dealer gave five cards each to all players. It was then followed by a betting round.

It was in the year 1820 that the modern 52-card deck was introduced in 5 Card Draw Poker. This offered players a chance to play one after another and made it possible for them to draw cards. That, in turn, resulted in 5 Card Draw Poker becoming one of the most popular Poker versions of the 20th century. While 5 Card Draw Poker may not be as sought-after as it once was, it’s still a simple and exciting game to play online.  

Now that you know the Poker history of the 5-Card Draw variants let’s look at the rules and other things about the game.

5 Card Draw Poker gameplay

The 5-Card Draw Poker comes with straightforward rules, so you won’t have much trouble getting started with it, even if you’re a beginner. The gameplay round of 5-Card Draw Poker begins with each player receiving five cards, face down. The dealing of the cards starts with the first player seated on the left side of the dealer and continues in a clockwise fashion.

Once done with dealing with the cards, the first betting round will start. Then the gaming action will go on to the draw phase. At this point, all active players can exchange between one to five cards to form the best hand. Also, players can go with the “stand pat” option if they don’t want to exchange any of their cards.

The draw phase in 5 Card Draw Poker is followed by another betting round. After that, players still involved in the play reveal their Poker hands to determine the winner.

As with Four Card Poker and other Poker variations, the player with the best hand wins the game here. If multiple players are having the same hand, the pot amount is split and distributed equally. It’s worth noting that if two players have the same hand, some platforms may offer the winning pot to the player with the highest side card.

Betting in 5 Card Draw Poker

If you’ve played Video Poker games before, you’d know that many Poker variations come with a particular betting format. In contrast, 5-Card Draw Poker follows all three betting structures, explained below:

• Fixed limit – As the name implies, the bet size is set here, and it’s not allowed to change at any point during the gameplay.
• Pot limit – In this betting, the players can alter the bet size per their playing preferences. But they can’t go over the size of the pot.
• No limit – This betting format is usually preferred by players with significant bankroll amounts. After all, it allows them to change their wager size to virtually anything they want.

The table layout of 5 Card Draw Poker is similar to that of Texas Hold’em. So, players can find the small blind and the big blind present here. And as explained earlier, the betting action starts with the player on the left and continues as per Poker positions.

Hand rankings for 5 Card Draw Poker

The hand rankings for 5 Card Draw Poker, from highest to lowest, are as follows:

• Royal Flush
• Straight flush
• Four-of-a-kind
• Full house
• Flush
• Straight
• Three-of-a-kind
• Two pair
• One pair
• High card

5 Card Draw Poker playing tips and strategy

As with any other casino game, there’s no perfect Video Poker strategy that can offer guaranteed wins every time you play 5 Card Draw Poker. But some playing tips can help you in improving your winning chances in the game. They are:

Be mindful of your starting hand selection. As a 5 Card Draw Poker player, you need to limit your betting action if you’ve got a weak hand.

When trying to make a straight or a flush, remember that the chance of forming them with one card to come is 4:1. You can check our Video Poker guide if you wish to know more about the same.

When playing 5 Card Draw Poker at a live casino, the decision taken by your opponents may affect your overall winning chances. So, you must pay attention to things like the betting action taken by your opponents, the cards discarded by them, and so on.

Finally, you must try to avoid fancy bluffs unless there’s some point in using them.

Conclusion

So, this covers everything you need to know to get started with the 5-Card Draw Poker at the UK online casino. Sure, the game may not be as mainstream as it once used to be. But it’s a fun and exciting Poker variation to play online. As long as you keep in mind the things mentioned in this article, you can expect to have an exciting and entertaining 5-Card Draw Poker experience.