5 Card Draw Poker Rules and Hands
Short answer
Each player gets five private cards, bets, swaps up to three cards (or more by house rules) for new ones, bets again, and the best five-card hand wins. It uses the standard poker hand rankings.
How a hand plays
- Antes or blinds: everyone puts in a small amount so there is something to win.
- Deal: five cards each, face down.
- First betting round: check, bet, call, raise or fold.
- The draw: in turn, discard and get replacements. Many games allow up to three cards, or four if your last card is an ace.
- Second betting round.
- Showdown: the best hand wins the pot.
Hand rankings
Same as every other standard poker game, from royal flush down to high card. See the full poker hand rankings or print the free chart.
Odds you will actually see
Because you only ever have five cards, hands are rarer than in Hold'em. Before the draw: one pair about 42.26%, two pair about 4.75%, three of a kind about 2.11%, and a flush only about 0.20%.
Simple draw tips
- Keep a pair and draw three.
- Keep two pair and draw one.
- Keep trips and draw two.
- Four to a flush or an open-ended straight is worth a one-card draw. Inside straight draws rarely are.
- Watch how many cards others take: a one-card draw often means a draw or two pair.
FAQ
How many cards can you draw in 5 card draw?
Common home rules allow up to three, or four if you keep an ace. Agree before you play.
Do 5 card draw hand rankings differ from Hold'em?
No. They use the same rankings.
What is the best hand in 5 card draw?
A royal flush, unless you play with wild cards and allow five of a kind.
How many players can play 5 card draw?
Usually 2 to 6, so the deck does not run out during the draw.