Five card draw poker rules are sometimes confused with the rule of five card stud. In this game players are dealt five cards, exchange them for other card, then show them down to see who has the best hand. The five card draw rule states that between three and six players can participate in a hand of five card draw poker.
Beginning a Five Card Draw Hand
The dealer shuffles the deck and deals each player five cards face down. Each player then looks at their cards and a round of betting occurs. The person directly to the left of the dealer begins the betting just as in the Texas Holdem rule book.
The Discard / Exchange
After the first round of betting occurs, players are allowed to exchange up to three of their cards for new cards. The person directly to the left of dealer gets their cards exchanged first and then moves in a clockwise motion. Also note that, in some games, players can exchange up to four cards, but they must retain an ace in their hand. After the exchange takes place another round of betting occurs beginning with the player directly to the left of the dealer.
Five Card Draw Showdown
After the exchange takes place, there is a showdown. Players show their hands to each other and the person who makes the best five card poker hand wins. The hands in the five card draw rules are ranked according to the usual poker hand ranking.
