Draw Poker: Card Game Rules

Draw Poker is poker in its rawest form. It’s usually the first type of poker game a new player learns, and it is from the original Draw Poker that all other poker games owe their existence. Although the original game of Draw Poker has lost its popularity and is seldom seen in today’s casinos, it has all the fundamentals anyone would need to learn before playing the many hybrids of poker which exist today.

The object in Draw Poker is for players to build the best five card hand from two dealings of the deck. After the first deal and a first round of betting, the players may discard (throw away) some even or all of their first round of cards and receive replacement cards. In Draw Poker, no cards are ever dealt face up, and cards are only shown to the other players at the showdown.

An Overview of Draw Poker Play

A dealer is designated and the deck shuffled.

Each player must pay the ante, which qualifies them for play.

The dealer now deals out the cards one at a time and face down to each player. The deal begins to the dealer’s left and continues until all players have five cards.

Players may now pick up their cards. The player on the dealer's must now open the betting round by placing a bet, passing, or folding.

Play goes to the next player to the left who now has the opportunity to bet or fold. If the previous players chose to pass, then the next player can pass or place a bet. If previous players have bet and they want to stay in the round, then they must call by matching any outstanding bets. The player may then raise by placing a bet of their own if they wish to do so.

The betting continues to the left.

Players may now discard (throw away) any or all of their cards from the first deal. All discarded cards are placed face down and the dealer collects them.
Once the discarded cards are taken, the dealer now goes to the left dealing out replacement cards face down to the players.

Betting now takes place again as before.

The dealer gets the final raise, and then players must either call or fold. After the final betting round, any players still in the game have now reached the showdown. All players now reveal their hands. The best hand of five cards wins the pot.