Play Draw Poker

Why play draw poker? Well it is THE granddaddy of the game, and it’s been around longer than any other variation. But with that said, it appears as though draw poker is on the way out, even though it has a long history of providing players with a fun form of recreation and relaxation.

If you’re familiar with westerns or science fiction, draw poker is probably the version that you have seen popularized on fictional television shows and movies in these genres. Okay, so I don’t know a lot about science fiction, but I was a fan of Star Trek The Next Generation (don’t laugh, the ratings say you probably were too) and it was draw poker that the characters engaged in. Similarly, most westerns feature draw poker.

There are several variations on draw poker, and various house rules that add additional flavor to these variations. The basic rules of play are the same for all variations, however, those being that players are allowed to exchange cards in their hands after the first wager round is completed for cards in the deck. Players do this in order to strengthen their hands and win the game, and a lot of the game is left to chance. Because of the difficulty in making a better hand than anyone else with the cards in the deck alone, most draw poker games will include wild card options, typically aces or twos (thus the saying Deuces are wild). Suicide kings are also popular wild card options when players are going for fun games.

While a lot of people will play this game as a form of fun or relaxation, it was also once common in poker rooms and casinos, although with the surge in popularity of community card games five card draw appears to be on the way out. As with the reasons behind the popularity of any poker variation, it’s hard to know why draw is one the wane. One reason could be that in order for a player to have a chance at winning, he or she has to tip a hand somewhat when it comes time to exchange cards. An exchange of three cards, for example, changes the odds of the combination and thus other players can’t get a very good read on what’s going on. In contrast, community card games mean that all players are using almost all of the same cards, so odds are easier to calculate.

Whatever the reason for the wane in popularity of draw poker as far as a mainstream presence, most informal gatherings of poker players will play draw poker rather than other variants. This is mainly because it is still the variant of the game that offers the most chances of improvisation, with an infinite variety of house rules that can be applied. It’s a fun way to engage your friends in a game of chance, and everyone has the chance to win some money or whatever it is you are playing for.