While this is the most fundamental of all poker games, it is rarely played at tournament level, but remains a popular variation in informal games for up to eight players.

Each player receives five unseen cards. After a round of betting in which players may either call, raise or fold, the opening player has the opportunity to discard up to four cards from his hand which the dealer replaces with an equal number of cards, also unseen. Each player in rotation has the same chance to discard and replace their cards. Once all the remaining players have received their new cards and they have their final hand, another round of betting ensues in which the players may either call, raise or fold. The winner is the player with the highest hand or the last remaining player in the game. For the best Five Card Draw Strategy read on.

FIVE CARD DRAW STRATEGY

Five card draw is not a game known for high hands, and three of a kind is considered good hand, so it’s not to be played with unreasonable expectations. However, higher hands like straights and flushes do occur and most of the bluffing in this game relies on the opponent’s belief that the player might have one of these higher hands.

Strategy - Bluffing

The usual method of bluffing in this game is to raise before the new cards are drawn, thus implying the player’s hand is uncommonly good before receiving any new cards. To persist effectively with the bluff it is advised you take no more than one card on the draw, otherwise your initial bluff might be construed as irrational play. This deception is often particularly effective when the player bets as though the one card received on the draw has helped the already good hand, but, like all bluffing, it only effective if it is not practised all the time. The player that uses the same technique consistently becomes predictable to his opponents.

Strategy – Ante Size

The size of the ante also plays a part in determining how to approach the game. With a large ante which is a considerable part of the pot and not just a nominal amount a player won’t mind losing, the player would do better to play as many games as possible. The smaller ante means a player can wait for better cards to tun up in a hand.

Strategy - Position

As with all poker games, the position of the player can be used to great advantage. The last player to bet has, theoretically, the most favourable position since they have more information about the other hands and can act accordingly. Although this is not always true since different styles of play at different times can be very effective. A player that is first to bet, for example, may be able to scare other players into folding or to deceive them with some misleading ‘slow-play’ by betting to raise the amount in the pot.