Poker is a highly popular game and the draw poker can be called the standard game, the deviations from which have given rise to newer forms of the game.
The draw poker is a five card game, the aim of which is to make the best hand out of the dealt cards or by exchanging a maximum of three cards from the deck. To be successful at the game of draw poker, one needs to be skillful and judgmental. Here are the steps that describe how to play draw poker:
Before the dealer deals in the cards, all players playing the game have to place the bet in the pot. This is called anteing up. After the initial bet, the dealer starts dealing the cards to all players starting from his left. Each player gets five cards facing down.
Once the cards are dealt, the players can see their cards to check the hand that they have got. This is followed by a round of betting and the player to the left of the dealer is the first to start the bet. During the process of betting the players can fold, pass or bet on their cards. For those who fold their cards, the game ends there and then but for the players who are still in the game have an opportunity to better their cards.
The game of draw poker allows the exchange of one, two or three cards, as the rules of the game may allow. This exchange is done with the deck and the players can therefore, exchange the not-so-good and handy cards from the same number of cards from the deck. A player having an ace and wishing to exchange his cards has the choice to trade four cards but he might have to show the ace that he holds.
The best poker sites for draw poker are 888 Poker and Party Poker.
Here it is important to mention that the proposition of exchanging cards is not mandatory. A player may do so if he anticipates that he could make a better hand out of the exchanged cards. But if he has a good dealt hand, he may not opt for exchanging cards but go for “staying” without exchanging any cards.
Once all players exchange and get their new cards, another round of betting starts and this time too the player to the left of the dealer starts the bet. The final showdown takes place when the betting is complete. At showdown, the player with the best hand wins the game and hence gets the pot.
The game of draw poker, as mentioned is the standard form of poker and the deviations from this standard form have developed into other games. However, those who wish to play poker first learn the basic draw poker. It is good to understand the terminology of the game, the cards and the rules of the game before starting to play. There are several websites online, which provide an insight into the details of what is poker, what are the different variations, and how each of these is played and so on. One can check these sites for online guidance.