Draw Poker Variations

Draw Poker is believed to have first appeared during the 1850s right around the beginnings of the game itself. It is considered to be the traditional way of playing Poker, and through the years has produced several interesting variations.

In Draw Poker each player receives five cards, face down. After the betting round, the game begins, and players can discard or replace any of their cards. The number of times they can do this depends on the game. At the showdown all players reveal their cards, with the highest hand winning the pot. But if only a single player remains, he need not show his cards.

In 5 Card Draw Poker, the game begins with a preliminary betting round. The players are each dealt five down cards. During the game a player may exchange up to three cards. Another betting round ensues, followed by the showdown. The high hand wins the pot. In some 5 Card Poker variants, the High Hand is replaced by a High/Low Split, while others use Lowball, that is, the lowest hand wins the game. Wild cards are also sometimes employed.

In Pass the Thrash, also called Anaconda, rotating bets follow the initial deal. Player number varies, but the ideal is between 4 and 7. Each player is dealt seven cards, face down. The game proceeds with each player passing three cards of his choosing to the one on his left. This is followed by a betting round, and two more cards are passed.

Another betting round proceeds and one more card is passed. Finally the players decide which five cards to keep and discard the other two. At the showdown the High Hand wins. In some instances all seven are kept, allowing the player to choose which cards to reveal.

One of the most popular Draw Poker variations is Jackpots, or Jacks to Open. Here the opening bet may be made only if a player has a pair of Jacks or better. If no one has the required cards, the hand is considered over. A new deals begins, in which the ante is upped. If a player who has opened the bet has an opportunity for a flush, he can temporarily discard his Jack.

In progressive jackpots, the required pairs change with each bet. That is, if a pair of Jacks are required and no one has them, in the next deal the needed pair will be a pair of Queens, then Kings and finally Aces.

The above derivations of Draw Poker are only a sampling. A cursory scan through the Web will reveal other ways of playing the game. It will not only help your overall skills improve but also increase your appreciation for the game itself. .