Draw Poker Rules

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. Draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Betting round.
5. Triple draw repeats the draw and the betting round twice more: three draws and four betting rounds in all. Double draw repeats them once more: two draws and three betting rounds. Single draw stops after the first draw: one draw and two betting rounds.
6. Showdown: the lowest hand wins the whole pot.

Winning

• The lowest five-card hand wins. Aces are always high, so an ace is a bad card to hold.
• Straights and flushes count as made hands and ruin a low. 6-5-4-3-2 is a straight, not a six-low.
• A-5-4-3-2 is not a straight in this game. It is an ace-high hand, which is a weak low.
• Hands rank in the reverse of the usual high order: any plain no-pair hand beats any pair, one pair beats two pair, and so on up to a straight flush, the worst hand of all.
• Two no-pair hands compare from the top card down: 8-6-4-3-2 beats 8-6-5-3-2.
• The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 in at least two suits. Identical hands split the pot; suits never break a tie.

Betting

• 2-7 Triple Draw is fixed limit: the small bet in the first two betting rounds, the big bet in the last two.
• PL 2-7 Triple Draw and PL 2-7 Double Draw are pot limit: you can bet or raise up to the size of the pot. If the table has antes, they do not count toward the pot size until after the first draw.
• NL 2-7 Single Draw is no limit: you can bet any amount up to your whole stack.
• On a capped table, once you have put the table cap into the pot in a hand, you are all-in for that hand. The cap is shown next to the game name, for example Cap 40BB.

Good to know

• The double-draw version is offered only as a capped pot-limit game: PL 2-7 Double Draw, shown with its cap (for example Cap 40BB).
• The pot never splits high and low. Only identical hands share it.
• Draws happen even when players are all-in, so an all-in player can still improve.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. First draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Second betting round, then the second draw.
5. Third betting round, then the third and last draw.
6. Fourth betting round, then showdown: the lowest hand wins the whole pot.

Winning

• The lowest five-card hand wins. Aces are always low.
• Straights and flushes do not count, so they never hurt your hand.
• Pairs are bad: any hand with five different ranks beats any hand with a pair.
• Two unpaired hands compare from the top card down: 7-5-3-2-A beats 7-6-3-2-A.
• The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, called the wheel. Identical hands split the pot.

Betting

• A-5 Triple Draw is fixed limit: the small bet in the first two betting rounds, the big bet in the last two.
• PL A-5 Triple Draw is pot limit: you can bet or raise up to the size of the pot. If the table has antes, they do not count toward the pot size until after the first draw.
• On a capped table, once you have put the table cap into the pot in a hand, you are all-in for that hand. The cap is shown next to the game name.

Good to know

• This is the same low used in Razz and in Badacey: a hand like 5-4-3-2-A of one suit is still the best hand.
• Compare 2-7 Lowball, where the ace is high and straights and flushes count against you. The table name tells you which one you are playing.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets four cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. First draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Second betting round, then the second draw.
5. Third betting round, then the third and last draw.
6. Fourth betting round, then showdown: the best badugi hand wins the whole pot.

Winning

• A badugi is four cards of four different suits and four different ranks. Aces are low, and lower is better.
• If your four cards are not a badugi, you play your best three cards of different suits and ranks, or two, or one. The best set is picked for you.
• More cards always win: any four-card badugi beats any three-card hand, and any three-card hand beats any two-card hand.
• Hands with the same number of cards compare from the highest card down: 7-4-3-2 beats 7-5-2-A.
• Straights do not exist in Badugi. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4 in four different suits. Identical hands split the pot.

Betting

• Badugi is fixed limit: the small bet in the first two betting rounds, the big bet in the last two.
• PL Badugi - Capped is pot limit: you can bet or raise up to the size of the pot. If the table has antes, they do not count toward the pot size until after the first draw. Once you have put the table cap into the pot in a hand, you are all-in for that hand.

Good to know

• A paired card or a second card of the same suit is dead weight. Drawing to replace it is usually the plan.
• In Badeucy the badugi half is played with aces high, so check which game you are in.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. First draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Second betting round, then the second draw.
5. Third betting round, then the third and last draw.
6. Fourth betting round, then showdown: half the pot to the best badugi, half to the best 2-7 low.

Winning

• Badugi half: your best badugi from any four of your five cards, aces high. The best badugi is 5-4-3-2 in four different suits. If you have no four-card badugi, your best three-, two- or one-card hand plays.
• 2-7 half: your five cards as a 2-7 low, aces high, with straights and flushes counting against you. The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2, not all one suit.
• Both halves always pay out; there is no qualifier. One player can win both halves and scoop the pot, and ties split the half they tie for.

Betting

• Fixed limit: the small bet in the first two betting rounds, the big bet in the last two.
• The number of bets and raises in each betting round is capped (see Draw basics).

Good to know

• The ace is high in both halves, so it is a poor card for either hand.
• Badacey is the same game with aces low and an A-5 low instead of 2-7.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. First draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Second betting round, then the second draw.
5. Third betting round, then the third and last draw.
6. Fourth betting round, then showdown: half the pot to the best badugi, half to the best A-5 low.

Winning

• Badugi half: your best badugi from any four of your five cards, aces low. The best badugi is A-2-3-4 in four different suits. If you have no four-card badugi, your best three-, two- or one-card hand plays.
• A-5 half: your five cards as an A-5 low, aces low, with straights and flushes ignored. The best hand is 5-4-3-2-A.
• Both halves always pay out; there is no qualifier. One player can win both halves and scoop the pot, and ties split the half they tie for.

Betting

• Fixed limit: the small bet in the first two betting rounds, the big bet in the last two.
• The number of bets and raises in each betting round is capped (see Draw basics).

Good to know

• The ace is the best card in both halves.
• Badeucy is the same game with aces high and a 2-7 low instead of A-5.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. First draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Second betting round, then the second draw.
5. Third betting round, then the third and last draw.
6. Fourth betting round, then showdown: half the pot to the best qualifying high hand, half to the best qualifying low.

Winning

• High half: the best five-card high hand that is at least a pair of sixes in Archie 66, or at least a pair of nines in Archie 99. Normal high rankings apply: aces high, straights and flushes count, and two pair or better always qualifies.
• Low half: five different ranks, all 8 or lower, aces low. Straights and flushes do not count against a low. The lowest qualifying low wins.
• If nobody qualifies for one half, the qualifying half wins the whole pot.
• If nobody qualifies for either half, the best ordinary high hand wins the whole pot.
• One player can win both halves, for example with A-2-3-4-5, which is a straight for high and the best low. Ties split the half they tie for.

Betting

• Fixed limit: the small bet in the first two betting rounds, the big bet in the last two.
• The number of bets and raises in each betting round is capped (see Draw basics).

Good to know

• The table name tells you the high qualifier: 66 means a pair of sixes or better, 99 means a pair of nines or better.
• The qualifiers are checked separately for each pot, including side pots.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. The draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones.
4. Second betting round.
5. Showdown: the best high hand wins the whole pot.

Winning

• The best five-card high hand wins, using the standard rankings from royal flush down to high card.
• Aces are high, and straights and flushes count. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest straight.
• Identical hands split the pot.

Betting

• No limit: you can bet any amount up to your whole stack.
• There are no openers: you do not need jacks or better to bet.

Good to know

• The pot never splits high and low.
• How many cards each player draws is public, and it is one of the best clues to their hand.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. The flop: three shared cards face up, then a betting round.
4. The draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away any number of cards and gets the same number of new ones. There is no betting round after the draw.
5. The turn: one more shared card, then a betting round.
6. The river: one last shared card, then a final betting round and the showdown.

Winning

The pot is split in half. Both halves always pay out; there is no qualifier.

• Board half: the best Omaha high hand, using exactly two of your five cards and exactly three board cards.
• Hand half in Dramaha High: the best five-card high hand from your own five cards, without the board.
• Hand half in Dramaha 2-7: your own five cards as a 2-7 low, aces high, with straights and flushes counting against you.
• Hand half in DramaDugi (Dramaha Badugi): the best badugi from your own five cards, aces low.
• One player can win both halves and scoop. Ties split the half they tie for.

Betting

• Dramaha High, Dramaha 2-7 and DramaDugi are fixed limit: the small bet before the flop and on the flop, the big bet on the turn and river. The number of bets and raises in each betting round is capped (see Draw basics).
• PL Dramaha 2-7 is pot limit: you can bet or raise up to the size of the pot. Everything else plays the same as Dramaha 2-7.

Good to know

• The draw changes your Omaha hand too: the cards you keep are the only hole cards you can use with the board.
• The board never counts toward the hand half.
• Sviten Special is a close relative with a face-up single-card draw.

How a hand plays

1. The small and big blinds are posted, and everyone gets five cards face down.
2. First betting round, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
3. The flop: three shared cards face up, then a betting round.
4. The draw: in turn, each player still in the hand stands pat or throws away one to five cards. Once everyone has chosen, the replacements are dealt in the same order. There is no betting round after the draw.
5. Discard two or more cards and the replacements come face down, as usual.
6. Discard exactly one card and, when your replacement is dealt, it comes face up for the whole table to see. Choose Keep or Reject. If you keep it, it turns face down and becomes a normal hole card. If you reject it, it goes to the discards and you get a face-down card that you must keep.
7. The turn: one more shared card, then a betting round.
8. The river: one last shared card, then a final betting round and the showdown.

Winning

The pot is split in half. Both halves are high hands, both always pay out, and there is no qualifier. The table labels them Board and Hand.

• Board half: the best Omaha high hand, using exactly two of your five cards and exactly three board cards.
• Hand half: the best five-card high hand from your own five cards, without the board. This is a high hand, not a low: a straight beats two pair, and a flush beats a straight.
• One player can win both halves and scoop. Ties split the half they tie for.

Betting

• Sviten Special is pot limit: you can bet or raise up to the size of the pot.
• Limit Sviten Special is fixed limit: the small bet before the flop and on the flop, the big bet on the turn and river. The number of bets and raises in each betting round is capped (see Draw basics).

Good to know

• You can reject only once, and only on a one-card draw.
• If your time runs out while deciding, you keep the face-up card.
• Every Keep or Reject is written to the table activity log with the card, so everyone can see what was offered.
• Apart from the face-up draw, it plays like Dramaha High.