Learn Draw Poker Basics

If you’re looking to learn a new poker game, Draw Poker is a great place to start. In Draw Poker, each player is dealt a complete five-card hand upfront. Next, players choose which cards they want to discard and replace with new cards to make the best possible poker hand.

This process of improving your hand one card at a time leads to an exciting, suspenseful game perfect for players new to poker.

Decide to Draw

To play Draw Poker, each player is dealt 5 private cards face down. Each player then looks at their cards, without showing them to others. Players each choose which cards to discard, while trying to make a better hand than what they were originally dealt.

Discards are placed face down, next to a player’s chips. Players then draw new cards to replace each discarded card, hence the name “Draw Poker”, because the player is drawing cards throughout the game.

Betting After the Draw

After the Draw, the betting round begins. Here’s a general guideline to inform your betting strategy for a game of Draw Poker:

• Bet Aggressively, if you improved after the draw and your hand is stronger than before, such as a Full House or Flush.
• Check or Call, if your hand is average but still has a possibility of being a winner, such as a Pair of Queens.
• Fold, if your hand is weak after the draw and the odds of winning are small, such as simply possessing One Pair.

In any game of Poker, you always want some chips left over, in order to bet big when the odds do shift in your favor; this is especially true of Draw Poker, since the power-balance of the game can change dramatically with each new draw.

One more tip for betting well in Draw Poker: avoid calling large bets if you have a weak hand, because that means you’re just hoping to get lucky.

Know the Hand Rankings

It’s important to know how that various hands of Draw Poker each compare to each other. The basic Draw Poker hands are listed below, from highest value to lowest value:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair

Standard poker hand rankings apply, but the draw element of Draw Poker allows for more flexibility and excitement in achieving a top hand.

Focus on Fun, Not Finances

While learning draw poker strategy is important, focus on enjoying the thrill of the game itself.

Engage with other players, follow their draw decisions, and see if you can read the strength of their hands based solely on their actions.

It’s fine to celebrate if your hand improves on the draw, and it’s definitely ok share your excitement with others.

This social element of the game is what leads to the most fun, memorable nights playing poker with friends new and seasoned alike.

Ask Us Draw Poker Questions

If you have more questions about how to play Draw Poker or want to purchase your own Poker Table, Contact Us at Billiards Direct for more information.

Draw Poker is meant to be a social, low-key game for players of all skills levels.

So grab some friends, make your best draw, and get ready for a fun time at the poker table!