Card Value

Start by familiarizing yourself with the order of card values. The card with the lowest value is 2 and this goes all the way up till you reach the suits. Aces are the cards with the highest value.

Types of Hands

The next thing to familiarize yourself with is the different card combinations you make, often referred to as hands. A single pair of cards is the easiest to make, but it also ranks the lowest in the hierarchy. Next in line would be two pairs, followed by having three of a kind.

The lowest five-card-hand would be a Straight. This is composed of 5 unsuited cards of consecutive value, such as 9, 10, J, Q, K. A Flush is higher than a Straight, and it’s composed of 5 cards of the same suit. A Full House is composed of a pair and three of a kind. Four of a Kind is the third highest hand you can have. Next would be a Straight Flush, which is simply a combination of two hands. And finally, you get the Royal Flush – this is composed of the cards A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit.

Judging Hands

If you and your opponent/s are holding the same hand, the one with the higher value or suit of cards wins.

Card Exchange

In 5 Card Draw, players are allowed to exchange their cards even after the first betting round. How many cards they’ll be able to exchange will, however, depend on the playing rules predetermined in your table. Of course, you also have the option of not exchanging your cards, and this is referred to as "staying".

When a player opts to have his cards exchanged, he can get the same number of cards from the deck.

Placing Your Ante

5 Card Draw starts with each player placing his ante or bet into the pot; antes are simply the initial bets made by the players on the table.

Dealing of Cards

Unlike other poker variants, 5 Card Draw allows players to have five cards each in their hand.

Betting Rounds

Each player is allowed to bet or pass. When the round is completed, the cards should then be gathered from the players. After this, players will be asked to place their antes again into the pot.

Winning

The rounds will continue on until all players had either exchanged their hands or have chosen to stay. When the rounds had been completed, each player will then be asked to reveal his hand. The player with the best hand wins the pot.

See? Didn’t we tell you it was easy to play 5 Card Draw?