5 card draw is one of the oldest and most familiar poker games. Almost everyone of my generation knows how to play 5 card draw just from playing for matchsticks or pennies at the kitchen table.

But with the increasing popularity of televised games such as Texas holdem, some new and younger poker enthusiasts are unfamiliar with older poker games like 5 card draw. Since this is the classic poker game, I think that all savvy poker players need to learn how to play. We aim to make learning how to play five card draw poker a breeze with this article.

Antes

Unlike Texas holdem, 5 card draw doesn't use "blinds".  Instead, the forced bet in 5 card draw is called an ante.  The ante is a small bet all players are required to post into the pot before the cards are dealt. The ante is always part of the pot and cannot be taken back. So in 5 card draw, a player pays to see every hand.

The Deal

Dealing starts with the player to the left of the dealer. The dealer then deals the first card to the player on his left and continues to deal clockwise around the table until every player has five cards. These five cards are the "hole" cards or the "first round" cards.

Don't touch the cards before the dealer finishes dealing. All players should wait until the dealer is completely finished before picking up their set of five cards. Picking up the cards before the dealer finishes dealing is considered rude, and it's also sometimes done by cheaters who have cards hidden somewhere on their persons.

The First Round of Betting

After all players have looked at and organized their cards, the first round of betting begins. The player to the left of the dealer bets first. This player has the option to bet, check, or fold. If a player bets, he can bet the minimum, or he can open with a raise. (These terms are explained in the poker definitions section of the site). Other players after the first one have the option of calling, raising or folding. Betting continues in a clockwise direction until every player has acted. This ends the first round of betting.

There is a maximum of a bet and four raises in a multi-handed pot.

The Draw

Following the first round of betting, each player who hasn't folded can discard up to three of the cards in their hand. The dealer gives the player as many replacement cards as the player discarded. The player to the left of the dealer is again the first to act, and discards are done clockwise around the table.

If a player has an ace, he is usually allowed to take up to four cards instead of three. In most games, the player is required to show his ace before being allowed four cards. This stage of this poker game is called the draw.

Another Round of Betting

After the draw, another round of betting begins. Once again, the betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. After all final betting has taken place, the players who haven't folded turn over their five card hands, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.

There are no community cards in 5 card draw, so determining how strong your hand is in comparison to the other players is more complicated than in Texas holdem or even stud poker, because there is so much less information available.

Five card draw poker is an easy game to learn, but it's full of subtlety and skill in reading your opponents.

You might also be interested in our guide to online cardrooms where you can play 5 card draw online.