Five-Card Draw: Rules and How to Play
Five-Card Draw is a poker game for 2 to 6 players, about 15 minutes. Swap the cards you don't want once and the best hand wins. Bet with chips (points) or play without betting.
Setup
- Chips are points. They cannot be bought, cashed out or carried over.
- Two to six players, one 52-card deck (a joker can be added in the settings).
- Everyone starts with the same number of chips — 2,000 by default.
- One player holds the dealer button (D). It moves one seat to the left each hand.
How to play
- At the start of each hand, everyone puts an ante (10 by default) into the pot.
- Each player is dealt five cards that only they can see.
- Starting left of the dealer, the first betting round: check or bet if nobody has bet yet; otherwise call, raise or fold. If everyone checks, the cards are thrown in and dealt again — the pot stays and everyone antes again.
- In turn, each remaining player discards unwanted cards and draws the same number. By default you may replace up to 3 cards, or 4 if the card you keep is an ace. You may also stand pat.
- After the draw comes the second betting round. It starts with the player who opened the betting in the first round (or, if they folded, the next player still in to their left). The settings can make it start left of the dealer instead.
Winning and scoring
- If two or more players remain after the second round, hands are shown and the best hand takes the pot.
- Hand ranking, highest first: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
- If everyone else folds, the last player takes the pot without showing.
- Equal hands split the pot.
- After the set number of hands, the player with the most chips wins.
Common variants
- No betting: set Mode to "No betting" to play without chips. Everyone draws once, hands are compared, and the best hand scores a point.
- Jacks or better: an optional rule where you need a pair of jacks or better to make the first bet. If nobody can, the cards are dealt again and the pot stays.
- Joker: one joker can be added. It stands for any card, and five of a kind becomes the highest hand.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–6 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Bet with chips (points), or play without betting and just compare hands after the draw. | Betting | Can be changed |
| AnteAnteThe ante is like an entry fee: everyone puts it into the pot at the start of each hand. Bets and raises go in units of twice the ante. A bigger ante means more changes hands each time and the game ends sooner. | What everyone puts in at the start of each hand. The smallest bet is twice this. | 10 | Can be changed |
| Starting chips | Chips (points) given to everyone. They cannot be bought, cashed out or carried over. | 2,000 | Can be changed |
| Draw limitDraw limitIn the draw you throw away cards you don't want and take the same number from the deck. The classic limit is three, or four if the card you keep is an ace (or the joker). With Up to 5 you can replace your whole hand, so a weak hand is easier to rebuild. | The most cards you can replace in the draw. | Up to 3 (4 with an ace) | Can be changed |
| OpenersOpenersOpening means making the first bet in the first betting round. With Jacks or better, only a player holding a pair of jacks or better may open. If nobody can, everyone antes again and the cards are redealt with the pot kept, so the pot grows and the hand is fought with strong cards. | Require a pair of jacks or better to make the first bet. If nobody can, the cards are dealt again and the pot stays. | None | Can be changed |
| Second round startsSecond round startsThis sets who starts betting after the draw. The first-round opener is the classic form: the player who showed strength acts first. In exchange, if nobody bets in the first round, the cards are redealt. With Left of the dealer, the hand goes on to the draw even if everyone checks. | Who starts the betting after the draw. With "The opener", if everyone checks in the first round the cards are dealt again (the pot stays). | The opener | Can be changed |
| JokerJokerThe joker automatically counts as whatever card makes your hand strongest. Five of a kind (five cards of one number) becomes a hand above a royal flush. Hands come together more easily and tend to be bigger. | Add one joker. It stands for any card, and five of a kind becomes the highest hand. | None | Can be changed |
| Length | The game ends after this many hands (rounds when not betting). | 10 hands | Can be changed |
| Time limit | Time per move. When it runs out you check if you can, otherwise fold; in the draw you stand pat. | None | Can be changed |
Terms
- Ante
- A fixed amount of chips (points) everyone puts in at the start of each hand.
- Draw
- Discarding cards and drawing the same number from the deck. Once per hand.
- Pot
- Where the chips go. The winner of the hand takes it.
- Check, bet, call, raise
- Check passes without putting chips in; bet puts in the first chips; call matches; raise puts in more.
- All in
- Putting in all your chips. You then stay in to the end without adding more.
- Jacks or better
- An optional rule: you need a pair of jacks or better to make the first bet.
FAQ
What is the hand ranking?
From highest: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. With the joker, five of a kind is the highest.
How many cards can I draw?
Up to 3 by default, or 4 if the card you keep is an ace. The settings also offer up to 3 or up to 5.
How many draws are there?
One per hand. You may also keep all five cards (stand pat).
What if hands tie?
The higher cards making the hand win, then the higher remaining cards. If all five are equal it is a tie and the pot is split. Suits have no rank.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.