Poker.Benjes.com
Draw Poker
GAMES


Got a Great Game?  Tell me about it! 

skip@benjes.com

 Draw poker is generally regarded as the standard poker form. It is usually played by three to seven players. In draw, each player receives a set number of cards and later has the opportunity to replace some or all of them.
 
 

Five Card Draw

  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to six. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five down cards to each player 
  • PLAY 
    • There is a betting round after the deal, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. After the betting round, each player may exchange up to three cards. Another round of betting ensues, followed by the showdown. With fewer than six players, a player may draw four cards if they first show that their remaining card is an Ace. 
  • WINNER 
    • High hand. 
  • VARIATIONS 
    • Lowball Lowest hand wins. 
    • High-Low Split the highest hand and lowest hand split the pot. 
    • Shotgun Same as draw, but only first deal three cards, then bet. Fourth card. Bet. Fifth card. Bet. Draw and continue as in five card draw. 
    • Double-Barreled Shotgun Same as shotgun, but after draw, each player exposes a card. Bet. Expose. Bet. Continue until showdown. Good high/low. 
  • NOTE 
    • Although it's important to know how to play this most basic version of poker, it's not much fun! 
Jackpots
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to six. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Five down cards to each player. 
  • PLAY 
    • Beginning with the player to dealer's left, each player may open the betting, but only if player has a pair of jacks or better. 
    • If no one opens the betting, hand is declared over, cards are reshuffled, players re-ante. 
    • If a player opens, continue as five card draw above. 
  • WINNER 
    • High hand. 
  • NOTES 
    • The player that opened must show openers before discarding hand or at showdown. 
    • If player that opened draws cards and discards one or more of the cards comprising the required openers, player must show openers at time of draw. 
Spit in the Ocean
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to seven. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Four cards down to each player, one card up in the middle. 
  • PLAY 
    • As in five card draw, but each player receives only four down cards. While the dealer is dealing these four cards, someone has to say "spit," which causes the dealer to throw the next card face up into the middle of the table. 
    • The card in the middle is shared by all players and, along with all other cards of the same rank, is wild. Therefore, if the spit card is a six, all sixes are wild. 
  • WINNER 
    • High hand. 
  • VARIATIONS 
    • Phlegm. Same as spit, but cards are rolled at the end, with a bet after each roll. 
  • NOTES 
    • This game introduces the concept of a "community" card, namely the center spit card. The card is called a community card because every player shares that card as one of their own. Lots of games employ community cards; see the "Community Card Games" page. 
    • Community cards aren't always wild like they are in this game. 
Hurricane
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to thirteen. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Two down to each player 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Players may draw up to two cards. Bet. Declare. Bet. Showdown. 
  • WINNER 
    • High and low hands split. 
  • VARIATION 
    • Deuces wild. 
Three Legged Race
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to eight. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Three down to each player. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Draw up to three cards. Bet. Showdown. Player with high hand and player with low hand each receive a leg. 
    • Flushes and straights are ignored. Note that since aces are both high and low, it is possible for a player to have both the highest and lowest hand, and a player can receive two legs with one hand. 
    • Ante, reshuffle, and redeal. 
    • Continue until one or more players has three legs. 
  • WINNER 
    • First player with three legs. 
  • VARIATION 
    • Three Card Double Draw Lowball. Played straight low, either with or without multiple legs. After the deal, bet. Players may then each draw up to two cards. Bet. Players may all draw one card or stand pat. Bet. showdown. If fewer than eight players are involved, additional cards may be drawn. 
  • NOTE 
    • This game introduces the concept of a leg. A "leg" is awarded to a player who wins a round in a game with multiple rounds. The pot is won by the player who first wins the specified number of legs. 
Three Card Monte
  • PLAYERS 
    • Up to eight. 
  • INITIAL DEAL 
    • Three cards face down to each player. 
  • PLAY 
    • Bet. Players may then draw up to three cards. Bet. Declare. Bet. Showdown. 
  • WINNER 
    • High and low hands sptil the pot. 
    • High hands are ranked from high to low as as follows: 
      • Three of a Kind 
      • Little Bobtail (three sequential cards of the same suit) 
      • Pair 
      • Three Flush (three nonsequential cards of the same suit) 
      • Three Straight (three sequential cards not all of the same suit) 
      • High card. 
    • In evaluating low hands, ignore straight and flush issues. Best low is A-2-3 regardless of suit.