Online Poker » Dealers Choice Games » Fifty-Two Draw

Draw poker is a type of poker where players are dealt a complete hand before the first round of bets. In each subsequent round, players are able to trade cards from their hand with cards from the deck to hopefully improve their hand. Draw poker was one of the earliest types of poker played. There are dozens of different variants of draw poker. Some variations have unique hand rankings. These are known as lowball versions where the best low hand is the winner. There are also different betting structures such as antes or blinds. The most common form of draw poker is Five Card Draw. One variant of Five Card Draw is called Fifty-Two Draw.

Five Card Draw Game Play

In Five Card Draw, each player receives five cards face down. After you look at your cards you can opt to bet or fold. After you bet, there is a draw round where you can discard one or more of your hole cards for cards that are still in the deck. After the first draw, another betting round and another draw phase takes place. Then, one more betting round and draw phase occurs. After the third draw, everyone is able to make their last bets before the showdown. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins in straight Five Card Draw.

Fifty-Two Draw Game Play

In Fifty-Two Draw, each player is dealt five cards. Also, two cards are placed face down on the table. After looking at your cards there is a round of betting. After the round of betting, the first community card on the table is flipped. There is another betting round and the second card is flipped. You can discard and draw up to three of your hole cards in Fifty-Two Draw. You have to use all five of your hole cards or three of your hole cards and the two community cards to make your hand. You can't use four hole cards and one of the community cards. Because of the five hole cards dealt and the option to draw three cards, it is best to not play Fifty-Two Draw with more than seven people.

Fifty-Two Draw Strategy

The first key to succeeding at Fifty-Two Draw is to keep the card combinations in mind. You can either use all of your hole cards or three hole cards and the two community cards. Because this is a draw game, it may be tempting to play any opening hand. However, it is best to have at least three cards with potential to play the hand. For beginners, it is best to play your starting hands the same way you would with Five Card Draw, because essentially, that's what Fifty-Two Draw is. Once you get the hang of Fifty-Two Draw, you'll notice that, because of the community cards, your drawing odds are changed for some hands such as flushes.