This page explains the basics of the original game of poker, five card draw poker.

Unless you've never played poker before, you probably already know how to play old-fashioned five-card draw. Draw poker is real poker. Draw poker is pure poker. It gives us that bet-the-ranch excitement you see all the time in those classic old-West movies.

You're dealt five cards. You get a chance to bet. You keep the cards you like and get replacements for the rest. You get a second chance to bet. If more than one player remains after this second and final betting round, the contestants turn their cards face up to determine the winner. That's called the showdown.

The specifics of this game vary depending on where you play it. This game isn't offered in many casinos, five-card draw, or similar version of it, is still played in many home games. I have sat in many home games and played jacks or better to open, pairs to open/trips to win, and many other variations of this game, most including wildcards.

The basics of this game are fairly easy. There is usually an initial ante. The ante is a blind bet made by all players before the cards are dealt. There is a dealer who is usually one of the players. The dealer distributes five cards to each player. Each card is dealt one at a time and face down.

Once all the players look at their cards, there is a round of betting. The betting starts with the player directly to the left of the dealer. This player may check or bet and the betting continues to the left. Once a bet is made a player may call the bet, raise the bet or fold his hand. In the event of a raise, a player must call the raise to remain in the hand. If all the players fold to one bettor, that bettor wins the pot.

If two or more players remain after the first round of betting, the deal continues and each remaining player, in turn beginning at the dealer's left, can take replacements in an attempt to improve a hand. A player may discard from one to all five unwanted cards and immediately be dealt new ones. Or the player can stand pat (meaning you're satisfied with the cards you already have).

There is a second and final round of betting, beginning with the play that opened the pot. If there is no bet, a player can check. If a player bets or raises and no one calls, the hand is over and the bettor wins.

If two or more players remain after the second round of betting, there is a showdown to determine the winners. Players turn over their cards face up on the table and the best hand wins the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is split equally among the best hands.

One the hand is over, the deal moves to the left. Everyone antes up for the next hand, and the process is repeated.