Draw Poker Games
This class of games includes all games in which players receive their full
complement of cards at the initial deal, then exchange some of them during the
course of play.
5 Card Draw
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- : 3-7
- : five down cards to each player
- :There is a betting round after the deal,
starting with the player to the left of the dealer. After the betting round,
each player may exchange up to three cards. Another round of betting ensues,
followed by the showdown. With fewer than six players, a player may draw four
cards if they show that their remaining card is an Ace.
- : High hand
- : Adding wild cards to play
(and allowing five-of-a-kinds if chosen).
- High/low: the highest hand and
lowest hand split the pot.
- Lowball: Lowest hand wins. Allowing
for four card draw with an ace.
- Double draw: After the first exchange
and subsequent betting, there is another exchange and betting round.
Spit in the Ocean
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- : 3-12
- : 4 cards down to each player,
one card up in the middle.
- : As in 5 card draw, but each player receives
only 4 cards. The card in the middle is shared by all players and, along with
all other cards of the same rank, is wild.
- : High hand
Anaconda (Pass the Trash)
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- : 4-7
- : seven down cards to each player
- : Rotating bet starting after the deal.
Each player passes three cards to the player on their left after the first
round. After the next betting round, everyone passes two cards to the player
on their left. After another betting round, players pass one card to their
left. Each player then chooses five cards to keep and discards the remaining
two. Play continues with a rolling showdown. Cards speak for themselves.
- : high hand
- : The cards are passed to
other than the person to the left (Ex. 3-left, 2-right, 1-left or 3-left,
2-two-to-the-left, 1-three-to-the-left). The player keeps all seven cards
at the end and chooses which to turn up. This allows the player to change
from hi to lo depending on what is being played. Pass 2 cards to the left
and 1 card to the right at the same time. Love Thy Neighbor: High hand and
the person to his left (who is still in) split the pot.
Howdy Doody
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- : 4-7
- : seven down cards to each player
- : As with Anaconda, but with these exceptions:
this game is high/low and has wild cards. Threes are wild if and only if the
hand they are in is used to try to win the high pot. Kings are wild if and
only if the hand they are in is used to try for the low pot. No betting until
the showdown.
- : High and low hands split
- : The low pot is usually won by a perfect
low. High is usually won by at least a full house
Jacks to Open, Trips to Win
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- : 3-7
- : five cards down to each player
- : Played like 5-card draw, with the following
differences: Only a player with a hand as good as or better than a pair of
Jacks may open the betting. If someone has such a hand, they must open the
betting. If nobody can open, the hand is discarded, everyone antes again,
and hands are redealt. Once the betting is opened play continues as in 5 Card
Draw until the showdown. At this time, anyone who has at least a 3 of a kind
must reveal his hand. The best revealed hand takes the pot. If nobody reveals
a hand (that is, nobody has at least 3 of a kind) everyone still in may make
another exchange. Repeat this process (exchange, bet, check for winner) until
someone wins.
- : High and low hands split
- : Progressive Jackpot: You
have to win 3 hands to win the pot. The first hand starts with twos being
wild, with the rank of the wild card increasing by one with each hand (so
in the fourth hand, fives are wild). If nobody can open, the requirement increases
to a pair of Queens, then Kings, then Aces.
Trees
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- : 3-10
- : 5 down to each player
- : Bet. Now every player can trade cards
freely with every other player. Any number of cards can be exchanged, but
a player must give the same number of cards he is receiving. When all no more
trades are forthcoming, there follows a final round of betting before the
showdown.
- : High hand.
All For One or One For All
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- : 3-10
- : 5 down to each player
- : Bet. Each player, starting to the dealer's
left and continuing clockwise, may choose to either draw one more card or
trade in all his cards for an equal number of replacements. Rounds of betting
and drawing/exchanging continue, the leader rotating each time, until there
are fewer cards in the deck than players left in the game.
- : High hand.
Pick a Partner
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- : 4, 6, 8, or 10
- : 5 down to each player
- : Everyone rolls a card. Highest card showing
picks one of the other hands as a partner. The next highest unpartnered hand
chooses a partner, and so forth until everyone is paired up. Each partnership
combines their remaining 8 cards and chooses 3 of them. Three rounds of betting
follow, with one of the 3 cards rolled after each round. The winning team
splits the pot. If one member of a team folds, the other can continue playing
and, if he wins, he wins the entire pot.
- : High hand.
Psycho
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- : 3-6 (tricky with 6-- may not have
enough cards)
- : 5 down to each player
- : As in 5 card draw. Immediately after
draw, players show 3 cards. After a round of betting, players receive one
card up. Bet. Receive a last card down. Bet, then showdown.
- : High and low hands split.