Five Card Draw — Complete Rules
Five Card Draw is the classic form of draw poker: each player is dealt a private five-card hand, there is a round of betting, players may exchange (draw) cards to improve, a second round of betting follows, and the best five-card hand at showdown wins the pot. Here, you play at a single table against computer opponents, for chips, until one player has them all.
1. Equipment
- Deck: One standard 52-card deck. No jokers.
- Players: 2–6 (you plus 1–5 AI opponents).
- Chips: Each player starts with an equal stack, set before the game begins. When you run out of chips you are eliminated. The last player with chips wins the game.
2. The Ante
Before each hand, every player still in the game posts an ante (a fixed amount, set in the options) into the pot. The ante seeds the pot and gives everyone a reason to compete. If a player cannot cover the full ante, they post what they have and are immediately all-in.
3. The Deal
The dealer button rotates one seat clockwise each hand. Starting with the player to the dealer's left, five cards are dealt face down, one at a time, around the table. Only you can see your own cards; opponents' hands stay hidden until showdown (if there is one).
4. Betting
There are two betting rounds: one after the deal, and one after the draw. Each round begins with the first active player to the dealer's left and proceeds clockwise. On your turn you may:
- Check — pass the action along without betting. Only legal when no one has bet yet in the current round.
- Bet — put chips in when no one else has. Opponents must then match, raise, or fold.
- Call — match the current bet.
- Raise — increase the current bet. Everyone still in must respond again.
- Fold — surrender your hand and any chips already committed. You take no further part in the hand.
- All-In — commit your entire stack. If you can't cover the full bet, you're still live for your share of the pot (see §7, side pots).
A betting round ends when every player still in the hand has either matched the highest bet or folded. If everyone but one player folds, that player wins the pot immediately and no cards are shown.
Betting structure: This game uses no-limit betting with antes (no blinds). The minimum opening bet is the ante; the minimum raise is the size of the previous bet or raise.
5. The Draw
After the first betting round, each remaining player, in turn, may discard any number of cards (0 to 5) and draw the same number of replacements from the deck.
- Discarding zero cards is called standing pat — often a sign of a strong made hand (or a bluff).
- Discarded cards go to the muck and are out of play. If the deck runs low, the muck is reshuffled to form a fresh deck.
The draw is where hands are made and broken. See §8 for strategy on what to keep.
6. Showdown
After the second betting round, if two or more players remain, there is a showdown: all remaining players reveal their hands, and the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. Tied hands split the pot evenly.
7. Hand Rankings
From highest to lowest:
| Rank | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ 7♣ K♠ |
| 4 | Full House | K♠ K♥ K♦ 4♠ 4♥ |
| 5 | Flush | A♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦ |
| 6 | Straight | 10♠ 9♥ 8♦ 7♣ 6♠ |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 9♠ 9♥ 9♦ K♣ 2♠ |
| 8 | Two Pair | A♠ A♥ 8♦ 8♣ 3♠ |
| 9 | One Pair | Q♠ Q♥ 7♦ 4♣ 2♠ |
| 10 | High Card | A♠ K♥ 9♦ 7♣ 3♠ |
Notes on ranking:
- The Ace is high (A-K-Q-J-10) but can also play low in the "wheel" straight (A-2-3-4-5), where it counts as the lowest card.
- Ties are broken by the rank of the relevant cards, then by kickers. For example, two players each holding a pair of Kings are separated by their next highest card.
- Suits have no ranking value; a flush is judged by its card ranks, not its suit.
8. Side Pots (All-In)
When a player goes all-in for less than the current bet, they can only win the portion of the pot they contributed to. Additional chips from other players form a side pot contested only by those still able to match. Each pot is awarded independently to the best eligible hand. The game builds and awards these pots automatically.
9. Winning the Game
Players who lose all their chips are eliminated. Play continues, hand after hand, until a single player holds every chip on the table. That player wins.
10. Quick Strategy
- Draw discipline. With one pair, keep the pair and draw three. With two pair, draw one. With three of a kind, draw two. Four to a flush or an open-ended straight? Draw one and chase it. Nothing? Keep your highest card or two and draw the rest.
- Position is power. Acting later in the betting lets you see what others do before you commit.
- Read the draw. A player who draws three probably has one pair. A player who stands pat is representing a straight, flush, or better — believe it, or catch the bluff.
- Pot odds. Only call a bet when the pot is large enough relative to the price to justify chasing.
- Vary your play. Predictable players get punished. Sometimes stand pat on nothing; sometimes bet a monster small to trap.