Draw Poker
Introduction
Draw poker - a traditional form of the game.
If you’ve got a friend that you’re convinced would really take to playing poker but who, although enjoying playing in informal and family games of cards, is reticent about taking the plunge into a full blown poker game – try getting them to play a few games of Draw poker. The fact that Draw poker is often referred to as penny-ante poker should help them feel relaxed about it and see that this game of poker really is different to the others, they might also be interested to know that it is the most traditional of the poker games and could be said to be the purest form of poker dating back at least 150 years.
Getting started in a game of Draw
Draw poker - for those who like their math!
First off Draw is best played with no more than 6 players and ideally 4. The reason for this is down to the number of cards in a single deck, as you’ll see when we describe how the cards are dealt and then played with. Before any cards are dealt everyone pays an ante into the pot, then working clockwise the dealer gives five cards, one at a time around the table, face down to each player. The first betting round then begins, but to be the first person to bet going clockwise from the dealer you have to hold at least a pair of jacks. After this round of betting players can throw away up to three cards and replace them with ones drawn face down from the pack – hence the name Draw poker. The player that started the first round of betting again starts the second round of betting. If two, or more, players now make the same bet – the game ends with a showdown. On revealing their cards the player best hand wins the pot, or if all the other players have folded then again, obviously, then one person has won the pot. It is possible to win the pot in the first round of betting if all the other players fold.
Draw – the thinking persons poker?
The attraction of draw poker to some people is that by having to have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting the whole dynamic of the betting patterns change. In for example Texas Hold ‘em poker the first round of betting can be somewhat random, as a player might make a big bet in the hope of intimidating or bluffing the opposition. However, in Draw poker unpredictable or loose betting is less likely making it more appealing to players who rely on their math and observational skills. To this end online poker sites are starting to offer Draw games and some will even allow all 5 cards to be discarded and replaced before the second round of betting – of course poker purists hate this!
A good Draw starting hand
Do you want to play three of a kind or three in a bed?
OK, so what makes a good Draw hand? If you’re dealt two pairs or better before the Draw – you really are in a strong position and should be at worst evens to win the pot. And, of course, the better the two pairs the better the chances. A single pair is good, but is even better if you’re holding a pair of Aces. With one pair if you don’t at least pick up an Ace at the Draw – beware of another player with pair and an Ace kicker. All the usual straights and flushes are also possible – but once you move beyond holding three of a kind the odds of making a straight move out to 1:255 for a straight and 1:509 for a flush. As for a Royal flush – expect one in about every 650,000 deals!
What to do at the Draw
I bet she quite likes trips and straights.
The real skill in this game is knowing what to do at the Draw, which the same as any poker game will only really come to you with practice. However, a few tips here would include being prepared to not draw any cards if your hand looks good anyway. Otherwise we’d particularly be thinking about a hand holding trips of anything. Thinking you’ll Draw two cards to complete a straight or flush is rather ‘pie in the sky’ territory; not impossible but highly unlikely, odds which actually shorten if you need to Draw just one card to complete such a hand. If you’re going for a full house, especially if you’ve already got an Ace kicker – just draw the one card and keep the Ace kicker in reserve, more often than not the trips will win anyway. To ‘stand-pat’ means you’re not going to draw any cards at all. Beware players that do this is it could well signify that they are holding a straight or a flush.