Set of poker rules
Five-card draw (also known as Cantrell draw) is a poker variant that
is considered the simplest variant0️⃣ of poker, and is the basis for video poker. As a
result, it is often the first variant learned by0️⃣ new players. It is commonly played in
home games but rarely played in casino and tournament play. The variant is0️⃣ also offered
by some online venues, although it is not as popular as other variants such as
seven-card stud and0️⃣ Texas hold 'em.
Gameplay [ edit ]
In casino play the first betting
round begins with the player to the left of0️⃣ the big blind, and subsequent rounds begin
with the player to the dealer's left. Home games typically use an ante;0️⃣ the first
betting round begins with the player to the dealer's left, and the second round begins
with the player0️⃣ who opened the first round.
Play begins with each player being dealt
five cards, one at a time, all face down.0️⃣ The remaining deck is placed aside, often
protected by placing a chip or other marker on it. Players pick up0️⃣ the cards and hold
them in their hands, being careful to keep them concealed from the other players, then
a0️⃣ round of betting occurs.[1]
If more than one player remains after the first round,
the "draw" phase begins. Each player specifies0️⃣ how many of their cards they wish to
replace and discards them. The deck is retrieved, and each player is0️⃣ dealt in turn from
the deck the same number of cards they discarded so that each player again has five
0️⃣ cards.
A second "after the draw" betting round occurs beginning with the player to the
dealer's left or else beginning with0️⃣ the player who opened the first round (the latter
is common when antes are used instead of blinds). This is0️⃣ followed by a showdown, if
more than one player remains, in which the player with the best hand wins the
0️⃣ pot.
House rules [ edit ]
A common "house rule" in some places is that a player may not
replace more than0️⃣ three cards, unless they draw four cards while keeping an ace (or
wild card). This rule is useful for low-stakes0️⃣ social games where many players will
stay for the draw, and will help avoid depletion of the deck. In more0️⃣ serious games
such as those played in casinos it is unnecessary and generally not used. However, a
rule used by0️⃣ many casinos is that a player is not allowed to draw five consecutive
cards from the deck. In this case,0️⃣ if a player wishes to replace all five of their
cards, that player is given four of them in turn,0️⃣ the other players are given their
draws, and then the dealer returns to that player to give the fifth replacement0️⃣ card;
if no other player draws it is necessary to deal a burn card first.
Another common
house rule is that0️⃣ the bottom card of the deck is never given as a replacement, to
avoid the possibility of someone who might0️⃣ have seen it during the deal using that
information. If the deck is depleted during the draw before all players0️⃣ have received
their replacements, the last players can receive cards chosen randomly from among those
discarded by previous players. For0️⃣ example, if the last player to draw wants three
replacements but there are only two cards remaining in the deck,0️⃣ the dealer gives the
player the one top card he can give, then shuffles together the bottom card of the
0️⃣ deck, the burn card, and the earlier players' discards (but not the player's own
discards), and finally deals two more0️⃣ replacements to the last player.
Sample deal [
edit ]
The sample deal is being played by four players as shown to0️⃣ the right with Alice
dealing. All four players anteR$1. Alice deals five cards to each player and places the
deck0️⃣ aside.
Bob opens the betting round by bettingR$5. Carol folds, David calls, and
Alice calls, closing the betting round.
Bob now declares0️⃣ that he wishes to replace
three of his cards, so he removes those three cards from his hand and discards0️⃣ them.
Alice retrieves the deck, deals a burn card, then deals three cards directly to Bob,
who puts them in0️⃣ his hand. David discards one card, and Alice deals one card to him
from the deck. Alice now discards three0️⃣ of her own cards, and replaces them with three
from the top of the deck.
Now a second betting round begins.0️⃣ Bob checks, David checks,
Alice betsR$10, Bob folds, David raisesR$16, and Alice calls, ending the second betting
round and going0️⃣ directly into a showdown. David shows a flush, and Alice shows two
pair, so David takes the pot.
Stripped deck variant0️⃣ [ edit ]
Five-card draw is
sometimes played with a stripped deck. This variant is commonly known as "seven-to-ace"
or "ace-to-seven"0️⃣ (abbreviated as A-7 or 7-A). It can be played by up to five players.
When four or fewer players play,0️⃣ a normal 32-card deck without jokers, with ranks
ranging from ace to seven, is used. With five players, the sixes0️⃣ are added to make a
36-card deck. The deck thus contains only eight or nine different card ranks, compared
to0️⃣ 13 in a standard deck. This affects the probabilities of making specific hands, so a
flush ranks above a full0️⃣ house and below four of a kind. Many smaller online poker
rooms, such as Boss Media, spread the variant, although0️⃣ it is unheard of in terrestrial
casinos.
Maths of Five-card draw [ edit ]
Pre-draw odds of getting each hand
Royal
flush <0.001%
Straight0️⃣ flush (not including royal flush) <0.002%
Four of a kind
0.02%
Full house 0.14%
Flush (excluding royal flush and straight flush) 0.20%
Straight
(excluding0️⃣ royal flush and straight flush) 0.39%
Three of a kind 2.11%
Two pair
4.75%
One pair 42.30%
No pair / High card 50.10%
See also0️⃣ [ edit ]
