Standard Five-Card Draw Poker
Draw poker is very
popular in home games but is now
quite rare in casino and tournament poker play. When played
skillfully, it can become a monotonous poker game. The lowball
variations described later are more interesting games.
Two to eight players can play.
Play begins with each player being dealt five cards, one at
a time, all face down. The remaining deck stub is
placed aside, often protected by placing a chip or other
marker on it. Players pick up the cards and hold them
in their hands, being careful to keep them concealed from
the other players. The first betting round occurs at
this point, starting with the player to the dealer's left.
If more than one player remains after this round, the draw
phase begins.
Each player specifies how many of his cards he wishes to
replace, and discards that many from his poker hand. The
deck stub is retrieved, and after a burn card (a card dealt
from the top of a deck, and placed aside unused) is dealt,
each player in turn is dealt the same number of cards he
discarded, so that each player again has five cards.
It is important that each player discards the cards he
wishes to replace before he takes any replacements, and that
he take the same number of replacements as he discarded.
A second betting round occurs after the draw phase, followed
by a showdown if more than one player remains.
A common house rule in
some places is that a player may not replace more than three
cards, unless he draws four cards while keeping an ace (or
wild card). This rule is only needed for low-limit
social poker games where many players will stay for the draw, and
will help avoid depletion of the deck stub. In more
serious poker games such as those played in casinos, it is
unnecessary and generally not used.
A rule that is used by many casinos
is that a player is not allowed to draw five consecutive
cards from the deck. In this case, if a player wishes
to replace all five of his cards, he is given four of them
in turn, the other players are given their draws, and then
the dealer returns to that player to give him his fifth
replacement (if no later player drew, it is necessary to
deal a burn card first).
Another common house rule
is that the bottom card of the deck is never given as
a replacement, to avoid the possibility of someone who might
have seen it during the deal using that information.
If the deck stub is depleted during the draw before all
can receive cards chosen randomly from among those discarded
by previous players.
For example, if the last player to draw wants three
replacements but there are only two cards remaining in the
deck stub, the dealer gives the player the one top card he
can give, then shuffles together the bottom card of the
deck, the burn card if any, and the earlier players'
discards (but not the three discards of the last player!),
and finally deals two more replacement cards to the last player.
Other Draw Poker Games
Gardena Jackpots Poker (Jacks to Open)
Played as above, with standard hand values, and with a
single joker in the deck acting as a bug (a form of wild
card). Always played with an ante and no blinds.
On the first betting round, no player is allowed to open the
betting unless his poker hand already contains a pair of jacks or
a better hand. Other players who checked on the first
round may subsequently call or raise if someone else opens.
If no player opens, a new deal begins and everyone antes
again into the same pot. The player who opened the
betting keeps his discarded cards near him on the table so
that he can prove, if necessary, that he had a sufficient
opening hand. For example, a player with the K, J, 9,
and 7 of clubs and the J of hearts has a pair of jacks and
may open. He may wish to break openers in this case by
discarding the jack of hearts in an attempt to make the club
flush, so he keeps the discarded jack to prove that he was
entitled to open.
This poker game is named after the city of Gardena, California,
where this game was especially popular in the 1970s (though
it has always been secondary to lowball). At that
time, there were more public poker tables in that small city
than in all the rest of the United States. Public
poker rooms are still a big industry there, though Las
Vegas, Atlantic City, and other locations now have many more
poker rooms than they did at that time. Because jacks
to open was the primary form of high-hand draw poker played
there, traditional draw poker was often described by the
phrase guts to open.
In home poker games, it is
common that when a deal is passed out (that is, when no one
opens), the players re-ante and the qualifier to open is
raised to a pair of queens. If that deal is passed
out, the qualifier is raised to kings, and finally to aces.
This is called progressive jackpots poker.
California Lowball Poker
This was the primary poker game played in California during
the heyday of Gardena in the 1970s. It is still played
today, though its popularity has somewhat lessened since the
introduction of stud poker and community card poker to the state.
Played as above, using ace-to-five low hand values with a
single joker in the deck. Always played with blinds
rather than antes, so players may not check on the first
betting round (but may on the second round). A player
with a 7-high hand or better who checks after the draw
forfeits his right to win any money placed in the pot after
the draw. (In other words, you may not check a "seven"
unless you intend to fold when someone else bets).
Another common rule in low-limit games is that a player who
checks on the second betting round may not subsequently
raise on that round. This latter rule is never used in
games with pot limit or no limit betting structure.
Other Forms of Lowball Poker
Five-card draw poker, with no joker, and deuce-to-seven low hand
values is called Kansas City or Low Poker or even Billy
Baxter draw in honor of the poker player who dominated the world poker championship in the event for many years. The 7-high
rule and the no check-and-raise rule do not apply. In
the eastern United States, the United Kingdom, and
elsewhere, ace-to-six low hand values are common.
California High/Low Split Poker
Played as above, with a single joker, used as a bug.
The high poker hand and the low hand (using the ace-to-five low values)
split the pot. An 8-high or better low is required to
win low. If no hand qualifies low, the high poker hand takes the
whole pot. Played cards speak, that is, players do not
declare whether they intend to win the high or low half of
the pot (or both); they simply show their cards and the best
hands win. Because ace-to-five low values are used, a
poker hand such as a low straight or flush can win both high and
low, called scooping or hogging the pot.
High/Low with Declare
This is common in home poker games
but is rarely found in casinos today. Played like
other versions of five-card draw poker but after the second
betting round and before the showdown, there is a
simultaneous declaration phase.
Each player takes two chips from his stack and takes them
under the poker table, bringing up a closed fist that contains
either no chips (indicating that the player intends to win
the low half of the pot), one chip (indicating that the
player intends to win the high half), or two chips
(indicating that he intends to scoop or hog). When
everyone has brought up the closed fist, the players all
open their hands simultaneously to reveal their choices.
If any player shows two chips, and his poker hand is the best low
hand
and the best high hand, he scoops the pot. Otherwise, half
of the pot goes to the player with the highest poker hand who
declared high, and the other half to the player with the
lowest poker hand of those who declared low. There is no
qualifying hand to win either high or low, and if no one
declares in one direction, the full pot is awarded in the
other (for example, if all players declare low, the low hand
wins the whole pot rather than half). A player who
declares for a scoop must win both ends outright, with no
ties. For example, if a player declares scoop, has the
lowest poker hand clearly but ties for the high poker hand, he wins nothing.
The other player with the same high poker hand wins the high half
of the pot and the next-lowest poker hand wins low (assuming he
declared low--if no other player declared low, the high hand
who declared high wins the whole pot).
This poker game can be played with deuce-to-seven low or
ace-to-six low poker hand values, but in that case it is nearly
impossible to scoop (though you can still win the whole pot
if everyone declares the same direction).
Double-Draw Poker
Any poker game above can be played with two draw phases and
therefore three betting rounds. Double-draw California
lowball poker is a particularly good game. Triple-draw poker games
can be played as well.
Four-Before Poker
Another variation that can be applied to any poker game above, but
it is especially suited to lowball poker. On the initial
deal, only four cards are dealt to each player. A
betting round follows, then each player draws one more card
than he discards, completing his hand to five cards.
Then the final betting round and showdown. Note that
it is impossible to be dealt a pat hand, that is, a poker hand
(such as a straight or flush) that is complete before the
draw.
Johnson Poker (and Jacks Back)
This poker game is played with one joker which acts as a bug. It must be
played with antes and no blinds. Each player is dealt
five cards. The first betting round begins with the
player to the dealer's left, who may check or open with
anything. If any player opens, the game continues as
traditional five-card draw poker. If the first round is
passed out (that is, no one opens), then the player to the
dealer's left may now open if he chooses, but the game has
switched to California lowball poker. On the rare occasion
that the deal is passed out yet again, players re-ante and
deal again.
This poker game plays well head-up (that is, with only two
players). When this game is played with a pair of jacks
or better required to open on the first high-hand round, the game is called jacks back.
Q-Ball Poker
This is a lowball poker game that
combines some of the poker game variations mentioned above. It is
generally played with three blinds - one unit from the
dealer, one unit to his left, and two units for the second
player to the dealer's left. The deck contains one
joker.
Each player is dealt three cards, followed by a round of
betting (beginning with the poker player immediately after the big
blind, who may call the big blind, raise, or fold - there is
no checking on the first round). Next, each player is
dealt a fourth card, followed by a second round of betting
starting with the still-active poker player to the dealer's left.
No checking is allowed on this round either, despite the
fact that there is no bet facing the first player; the first
player must open or fold.
Each player is then dealt a fifth card, followed by a third
betting round beginning on the dealer's left. At this
point, checking is allowed. Finally, each poker player draws
as in normal draw poker, followed by a fourth betting round
and showdown.
Played at fixed limit, it is recommended that the betting
structure be 1-2-2-4; that is, the second and third betting
rounds should allow a bet of twice the amount of the first
round, and the final bet should allow four times the amount
of the first round.
Home Poker Games
These are somewhat less-serious poker games that are typically
played only in home games at small stakes. This does
not necessarily mean that there is less opportunity for
skillful play, just that the games are seen as more social
than competitive.
Shotgun Poker (Roll 'em Out and Skinny Minnie)
This is a draw poker game that plays much like a stud poker game.
First five cards are dealt to each player, followed by a
betting round, and a draw. Now, in place of a second
round and showdown, there is a rollout phase, which begins
with the players arranging their five cards in any chosen
order, placing them face down in front of themselves.
Each player's top card is now revealed, followed by a
betting round. Then each player reveals his next card,
followed by a betting round. Then a third card is
revealed, followed by a betting round, a fourth card, a
betting round, and finally a showdown. Players may not
change the order of their cards at any time during the
rollout phase.
This poker game can be played for high or low, but plays best at
high-low split, in which case it is called Skinny Minnie.
Spit in the Ocean Poker
This might be classified as a hybrid draw/community card
poker game, but it is discussed here because it plays mostly as a
draw poker game. On the initial deal, each player is dealt
four cards, and then a single card is dealt to the center of
the table face up. This card plays as if it were the
fifth card in every player's hand. It is also a wild
card, and every other card of its rank is also wild.
The first betting round is then played, followed by a draw
in which each player replaces cards from his poker hand with
an equal number, so that each player still has only four
cards in hand. A final betting round is followed by a
showdown. High-hand values are used.
Anaconda Poker (Pass the Trash)
Seven cards are dealt to each player. Before the first
betting round, each player examines his poker hand, and removes
exactly three cards from his hand and places them on the
table to his left. After every player has thus
discarded, each player picks up the cards discarded by his
right-hand neighbor and places them in his hand (thus, each
player will have given three cards to his left-hand
neighbor). It is important that each player discard
before looking at the cards he is to receive. After
the first pass, there is a betting round. Then a
second pass occurs, each player passing two cards to his
right. A second betting round is followed by a third
pass, each player passing one card to his left.
Finally, a fourth betting round and a showdown, in which the
player with the best five-card high poker hand he can make out of
the seven in his hand wins the pot.
In some truly silly games, the showdown is replaced by a
rollout phase, as described above in shotgun. This
makes a total of eight betting rounds in the game, which
generally destroys any chance for skillful play in the later
rounds.
Ad Hoc Poker Game Variants
Any of the above poker games can be modified in many ways upon
player whim, by designating additional wild cards, betting
rounds, more or fewer cards, altered poker hand values, and any
other change agreed upon by all players prior to each deal.
You can announce such a game by using the name of an
existing poker game and specifying the variations, for example
"three-card triple-draw California lowball, kings wild" (a
surprisingly good poker game head up). Many times this will
result in a game that does not play well, but occasionally
will produce a poker game that is well-suited to a particular
group of players. Even if it doesn't, such games can
be used sparingly to enliven an otherwise serious game.
Here are some general guidelines:
If you want to designate some normal suited cards as wild,
choose cards that would otherwise be bad for the poker game being
played. For example, deuces wild for high-hand games,
kings wild for lowball, 9-spots wild for high-low split
(where an 8-high or lower is necessary to win low).
High-low split games play best with more than four players.
When playing high-low split, it is necessary to have either
a declaration phase or a qualifier (but not both). The
most common form is 8-high or better to qualify low, but
also common is any pair/no pair (that is, a pair or better
is required to win high, and no pair or better low is
required to win low), and 9-high for low.
Designating more than four wild cards (or possibly six)
will result in considerable confusion and many ties.
Two to five betting rounds makes a good poker game. One
round or more than five rounds reduces the amount of skill
involved.
Giving each player more than eight or nine cards usually
makes a bad poker game.
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