5 Draw Poker Hands
Five Card (5 Card) Draw is a draw variant of poker. In other words, players will hold and discard cards, which are replaced by cards in the deck. In draw variants, players may discard cards from their hand and replace them with cards from the deck. All of the Classics If you’re not familiar with this game, IGT’s Five Play Draw Poker is the perfect way to get started (as is their Triple Play Draw Poker machine – a similar idea that has you playing just three hands at a time). The object of the game is simple. Premium pairs in five card draw are aces, kings and queens. These are all strong hands that will win you a lot of money in the long run. There is however a time and a place for each of these three hands. A pair of aces can be played from any position at the table. If you have played any other form of poker, 5-card draw rules are similar in that the aim of the game is to make the best five-card poker hand. Like Texas hold'em, the poker hand rankings, from.
In five card draw it is crucial that you play only high quality starting hands. Consistent play of low pairs and hands on the draw will produce equally consistent losses to your bankroll. Read below for a solid guide on what starting hands you should play in online five card draw. Most of this article covers pairs and two pairs, but assume that anything higher than two pair is almost always a playable hand. Also, keep in mind that we are referring to a nine or ten people table. If you are in a game with less players, you can loosen up a little bit more (but not too much).
Premium Pairs
Premium pairs in five card draw are aces, kings and queens. These are all strong hands that will win you a lot of money in the long run. There is however a time and a place for each of these three hands. A pair of aces can be played from any position at the table. This is your bread and butter hand and you need to play it aggressively. Open bet or raise with aces unless you know for sure an opponent has a better hand. Kings and queens are strong hands, but should be played with caution in early positions. You should open bet or raise with these hands in middle to late position. Be aggressive with all the premium pairs, but play them wisely and in proper position. In most five card draw games, you should not open bet in 1st position with a pair of queens!
Jacks and tens
These are playable pairs but generally should only be played from late position or in the blinds. Playing pairs lower than tens is a great way to lose lots of money playing five card draw online. Only play shorts (pairs below ten) when you can for cheap or have an obvious read on a weak opponent.
Two pair
Two pair is one of the hardest hands to play well in five card draw. You can make it easier to play by playing only high quality two pair hands. High quality hands are those usually consisting of jacks up or better. In early position you should only play two pair of at least kings up. In middle position you can add two pairs with queens up to your arsenal. Jacks up and tens up are okay too, but they should be played with as much caution as a single pair of these two ranks. Play them in late position.
Starting hands chart
Use this chart as a guide for what hands you should play from what positions when playing five card draw online. As you can see, one of the most important skills to learn in this game is to make the right choices according to your position on the table.
Position | Hands to play |
Small Blind | Most pairs, come (drawing) hands and Ace high/face can be played here if the pot hasn’t been raised. Raise with a pair of eights or better. |
Large Blind | Any hand if you can check. Pair of aces or kings, or pretty much any two pair or come hand if the pot has three or four players in it and you can call cheap (proper odds). |
Under the gun | A pair of aces, two pair only if kings or higher are included |
4th position | A pair of aces, two pair only if queens or higher are included |
5th position | A pair of aces, two pair only if jacks or higher are included |
6th position | A pair of kings, two pair only if tens or higher are included |
7th position | A pair of queens or better |
Dealer button | A pair of Tens or better. Open with a pair of nines if you hold face cards or tens. |
Use the table above as a reference, but don’t forget to adapt your play according to the number of players on the table and their behavior.
Table Of Contents
One of the simplest variants of poker, and one that is many poker player's first introduction to the game of poker, is 5-Card Draw.
More common in home games than it is in casinos, 5-card draw has been overtaken in the popularity by games such as Texas hold'em and Omaha poker.
But there are still plenty of 5-card draw fans around the world — particularly in the online world where several online poker sites offer cash games and tournaments.
Free Bonus to Play 5-Card Draw OnlineActivate this no deposit offer to play free 5-card draw games online!
How to Play 5-Card Draw Poker
If you have played any other form of poker, 5-card draw rules are similar in that the aim of the game is to make the best five-card poker hand.
Like Texas hold'em, the poker hand rankings, from weakest to strongest, are as follows:
- High card
- One pair
- Two pair
- Three-of-a-kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Full house
- Four-of-a-kind
- Straight flush
- Royal Flush
When it comes to preflop betting, there are two different methods used in 5-card draw.
Either all players pay an ante before receiving their cards (this is more common in home games), or there is a small blind and big blind similar to hold'em and Omaha games (this is the most common on online poker sites and in casinos).
Three different betting structures exist for 5-card draw, too.
You can play 5-card draw poker as:
- Fixed-limit
- Pot-limit
- No-limit
While all three formats play to the same poker rules, the different betting structures mean your strategy needs to be adapted.
For example, some hands that you wouldn't play in fixed-limit 5-card draw become playable in no-limit 5-card draw because in the latter you can bet enough to force your opponent to fold.
Regardless of the betting structure, this is how to play 5-card draw.
Five-Card Draw Basics
Once everyone has paid the ante or the blinds, each player receives five cards face down.
A round of betting then occurs.
If more than one player remains after that first round of betting, there follows a first round of drawing.
Each active player specifies how many cards he or she wishes to discard and replace with new cards from the deck.
If you are happy with your holding and do not want to draw any cards, you 'stand pat.'
Once the drawing round is completed, there is another round of betting.
After that if there is more than one player remaining, a showdown occurs in which the player with the best five-card poker hand wins.
As you can see, the rules for 5-card draw are simple and make for a fast-paced game, which is why the game is popular with new, less experienced players.
Basic 5-Card Draw Strategy
The fact you can learn how to play five-card draw poker in a few minutes doesn't mean that you will not need to practice to go from beginner to pro.
The best way to do that, is to practice online — possibly with some free games. If you have a few minutes to try a game or two, have a look at 888poker.
You can play with a no deposit bonus on signup that you can use to discover 5-card draw poker and master all the basic and advanced strategy tips that follow.
One trap lesser-skilled 5-card draw players often fall into is playing far too many hands, particularly hands drawing to a straight or flush.
In many cases, the saying 'tight is right' applies when it comes to starting hand selection in 5-card draw.
As in games with community cards, your position in relation to the button is also important in 5-card draw poker.
The closer to the button you are, the wider the range of hands you can play profitably.
Regardless of your position, you should almost always enter the pot with a raise because limping in usually results in several other players limping behind, which in turn means you need a much stronger hand to win the pot.
Play tight from early positions and raise with hands such as aces or kings.
As your position improves, you can add other high pairs such as queens, jacks, tens, and nines, so long as the latter has a good kicker to back it up.
Those of you fortunate enough to have been dealt two pair or three-of-a-kind should always come out raising whether you're under the gun or on the button.
Meanwhile be wary of holdings such as four to a straight or flush, because these are hands with which some players bleed away their bankroll.
With one card to come, you're around a 4-to-1 underdog to hit your hand, and often you won't have the correct pot odds to attempt filling your straight or flush, particularly in a short-handed game.
What Should I Discard in 5-Card Draw?
Knowing what cards to discard during the drawing round is what makes and breaks a 5-card poker player.
On a basic level you should consider the following:
| What you hold | What you should do |
|---|---|
| One pair | Draw three cards |
| Two pair | Draw one card |
| Three-of-a-kind | Draw two cards |
5 Card Draw Poker Hands
The above list is only scratching the surface of what you should draw in 5-card draw. Adhering to it, particularly in low-stakes games, should yield positive results.
Advanced 5-Card Draw Strategy
Once you have a grasp of the basics and are feeling more confident with how to play 5-card draw, you can start applying some more advanced strategies to your game.
There is a large psychological element to 5-card draw thanks in large part to the drawing element of the game.
For example, while it is statistically the best play to draw three cards when you hold a pair, if you always make this play your opponents will be able to read your hand easily and alter their strategy to defeat you.
You need sometimes only to draw to one or two cards with a pair in your hand — or even to stand pat — in order to represent a holding stronger than what you actually have.
Unlike in games such as hold'em, there is rarely any stone cold bluffing in 5-card draw.
5 Card Draw Poker Hand Probability
Players usually have at least a playable hand when betting even if they are indeed bluffing. This is why it is vitally important to take detailed notes when playing 5-card draw because they are extremely helpful.
Should you make a note that a player only opens with a pair of jacks or stronger on the button, you can easily fold a pair of nines in the blinds instead of calling.
Where Can I Play 5-Card Draw Online
As mentioned at the start of the article, 5-card draw is not a game that enjoys as much popularity as the likes of hold'em, but there are quite a few websites where you can play 5-card draw online.
The safest option is to try one of three sites below and play some games there.
These poker sites are your best bet for finding both 5-card draw cash games and tournaments at a variety of limits.
It is also possible to hone your skills at the play money tables there and play 5-card draw online poker free of charge with no risk to your bankroll.
5 Card Draw Poker Winning Hands
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'>Photo: Flush Poker Hand - Hearts, Guts Gaming. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.
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