About Draw Poker Draw Poker is the most standard form of this popular and age old card game, and this is the variation that is usually recommended for those new to the game. Poker can be a difficult game to master, as there is a lot of skill and strategy involved, and some variations of the game can be more complicated than others. With Draw Poker, the rules and the hands are far simpler to understand and grasp than many other forms of the game, making it ideal for those that want to practise their playing styles and strategies. Draw Poker is the poker game from which other variations of poker originally stemmed. Although this original form of poker seems to have lost out in the popularity stakes to other forms of the game, it is still the most basic and standard form, and the one that most novices prefer to play at least for a while until they master the art and skill of successful poker playing. With Draw Poker a hand consists of five cards. After the first round of betting has been completed, each player gets the chance to replace some or all of his hand by discarding the cards that he considers unbeneficial. All cards are discarded face down, as each player should keep the value of their hand to themselves until the very end of the game. Likewise, any cards dealt must also be face down in order to hide their identity. The poker hands and values are pretty simple to remember with Draw Poker. The value of the hands rank as follows: • Royal Flush: This is where you have an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and ten that are all same suit. • Straight Flush: This is where you have any five cards in numerical order that are all the same suit (e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of diamonds). • Four-of-a-Kind: This is where you have four cards of the same value (e.g. four 10s) • Full House: This is where you have three cards of the same rank or value and another two cards that are of another matching rank or value (for instance three tens and two fives). • Flush: this is where you have five cards that are all of the same suit. • Straight: this is where you have five cards that are in numerical order but not of the same suit. • Three-of-a-Kind: This is where you have three cards of the same value or rank, and then two random cards. • Two Pair: this is a hand where you have two sets of matching cards and one random card (for instance, two tens, two, fives, and a fifth random card). • Pair: This is where you have one pair of cards that match in rank or value with three random cards. • No Pair: This is where you have a mixture of cards that are of differing values and suits. Recommended Online Poker sites for new players: Ladbrokes Poker William Hill Poker Coral Poker bet365 Poker WPTonline Blue Square Poker Victor Chandler Poker Pacific Poker PartyPoker More recommended Poker Guides: Introduction to Online Poker Poker Tips Texas Hold'em Guide Texas Hold'em Strategies Omaha Guide Omaha Strategies Omaha High/Low Guide Omaha High/Low Strategies Draw Poker Guide Lowball Poker Guide Poker Hand Rankings explained