How to Play Five Card Draw

The kitchen-table classic. Five cards, one chance to swap some out, and a lot of reading faces. If you've played poker at home, you already know most of this.

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Overview

In Five Card Draw, each player gets five private cards. After a round of betting, you can discard and replace cards, usually up to three (four if you keep an ace) depending on the house rule, then bet again. The best five-card hand wins.

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You're holding a pair of jacks. Keep the pair, throw three, and hope.

Not every draw goes this well. Most of the time, a pair stays a pair.

The Draw, Shown

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The basics

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How a Hand Plays

See the hand rankings

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Find a Draw Game

[Five Card Draw comes up in our mixed games: confirm.] Want a game that isn't running? Ask the floor. Management decides when to start or close any game.

See What's Playing

Questions, Answered

How many cards can I draw?

Usually up to three, or four if your last card is an ace. Ask the dealer if you're unsure of the house rule.

What does "standing pat" mean?

Keeping all five cards and drawing none. It tells the table you're happy with your hand, or want them to think so.

Does High Mountain spread Five Card Draw?

[It comes up in our mixed games: confirm.] Check What's Playing, or ask the floor.

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