Five card draw poker is a very common poker game that has been around for many generations. As you play five card draw poker at a card table or on a video poker machine, the rules and the hands still remain the same. The ultimate hand in five card draw is a royal flush, which is an A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit.
In five card draw poker, you will place your ante at the table. The ante is usually a buy in to play the game. The ante on video five card draw is what you want it to be. You will receive five cards face down to view. Don’t show the other players your cards and examine your hand. You will have the opportunity to hold onto cards that you feel make a good hand or you can have the option to discard and get a new hand. You can discard zero or all five cards to replace or add to your hand.
The second dealing of cards is the only chance you have to make a good hand with the five cards you are dealt. The goal of five card poker is to get one of the following hands: two pair, a pair of jacks or better, a flush, straight, straight flush, full house, three of a kind, four of a kind, and a royal flush. One of these hands can keep you in the game. If you have no matches or no hands, chances are good you are going to lose the hand. If no one at the table has a hand, this is a draw and no one wins the game. When you are playing video five card poker, you are playing against yourself. This means that if you have no hand after your chance to discard and get new cards, you lose the ante and must bid again for the next hand.
It is very rare that one gets a royal flush in their hand. Always pay close attention to the cards you are dealt on the first hand. When choosing which cards to keep and which cards to discard, think about the different options. If you have a pair of twos and a A-K-Q of the same suit, which cards do you want to discard. Some players would go for three of a kind twos, while other players would go for the big royal flush or a straight. One thing to consider is that twos are the lowest cards. If you have a three of a kind in twos and your opponent has a three of a kind in fives, you lose. When playing video poker, you win no matter what with a three of a kind but the payout is far less than a royal flush. When discarding and asking for more cards, it is about risk and luck if you have a choice between two possible good hands.
One thing to remember when playing five card draw is that the more you bet on the game, the higher the payout is if you win. The less you bet, the less you win. A royal flush is a jackpot when you are betting more than a dollar for some poker games. However, if you are betting fifty cents, don’t expect but maybe $100 or more. If you want to win high, you must be willing to take a risk with your bet and bet high.