Five Card Draw Strategy – part I

Five Card Draw Strategy – part I

Since the very beginning of poker and up until the recent Texas Hold’em burst, Five Card Draw used to be the most popular poker game. The many poker scenes found in classic Western movies will testify to this statement. Apart from its history, the simplicity of Five Card Draw is a reason why it is still a widely popular home game, though it is rarely played in casinos and poker tournaments. Here are some basic tips and strategies for Five Card Draw.

Position

As is the case in any poker variant, position is the key. If you are ‘under the gun’ (first to act after the blinds), tighten up your game and fold more frequently. If you are on the button (last to act) you should take advantage by raising frequently and playing more aggressively.

Pre-Draw Play

From early position it’s a good idea to fold anything under a pair of Queens. You can raise with Kings-or-better. From middle position, you can play Jacks and even Tens. From late position you should at least raise with Queens-or-better. If many players have folded before you, be more aggressive and try to steal the blinds, especially if the players with the blinds are tight.

You must choose your battles wisely when it comes to chasing drawing hands, since they do not pay well when you’re out of position. Here is an example: If you’re playing in a $1/$2 limit game with blinds of $0.50 and $1, then calling costs you $1 and there is $1.5 for you to win in the pot. Say you’re chasing a flush. The odds of you NOT hitting the flush are 4.2-to-1, so calling this bet is not a smart thing to do. The pot odds are really badly against you. If you are in late position and many players have already called, then chasing the flush is possible - all depending on the pot odds. The same goes for middle position, provided that the players to act after you are generally loose (making the ‘implied odds’ good enough).

A straight-flush draw gives you more outs, so you can certainly limp in on the action from late position. Chasing these hands works better in multi-way pots, so make sure you chase the right draw and from the right position, otherwise you will probably loose all your chips do to your bad chasing habits. Generally speaking, you want double the big bet ($4 in a $1/$2 limit game) in the pot before you go chasing a straight-flush, and 4 to 5 times the big bet when chasing a flush or a straight.

An inside straight is when you have four cards that could improve to a straight, but the missing card is in the middle – for example, if you’re holding 4-5-7-8-x. If you are drawing for an inside straight, you probably shouldn’t. With only four outs (in our example, the four sixes), your odds are very slim. There is an old poker saying that doesn’t always apply to Hold’em or Stud poker, but is almost always true for Five Card Draw: Never draw to an inside straight.

Another thing that may be confusing to many beginners at this game is hand strength. If you’re used to playing Texas Hold’em, you may feel quite comfortable raising with three-of-a-kind. In Five Card Draw, three-of-a-kind is a fairly common hand, since many players will be drawing for it. You should therefore carefully consider the strength of your pair. Before you decide to play it pre-draw, you should make sure it is a high one.

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