Players' hands consist of five cards dealt to each player, all face down. From these five cards, the player can choose to discard several cards (3 card maximum) and draw the same number of cards to replace them. A player wins by having the highest-ranking hand of five cards.

Each hand can start with eight players or less (if a player runs out of cash, or if you remove players before the deal).

5 Card Draw strategies

Most of the strategies listed here apply to Draw poker games and their variations.

Pay attention to how players are betting and the number of cards they are drawing.
If a player draws three cards, the best he or she can have is a pair. If you want three as well, sometimes take two instead and use the third card to fake out the other players (even if you have no use for it).
If a player draws one card, he or she may be drawing for a straight or a flush, or may already have a good hand, so watch out!
If a player does not draw any cards (stands pat), you will probably want to have a really good hand to beat it. Of course, the other player may be bluffing.

With eight players at the table, you will usually need a minimum of Two Pair to win.