Professional playing tips

Learn to get that extra bit ahead of your opponents in 5 Card Draw by reading our easy-to-follow poker strategy guide, suitable for all players.

5 Card Draw is the kind of poker game that everyone can enjoy, yet few can really master. This is because its structure is so dynamic that there are always several moves available to a player at any given time, and making the right choices can get tricky. This poker strategy article will attempt to guide you through some of the most common decisions made in 5 Card Draw, so that you build your hand and bet wisely.
Position
5 Card Draw is in many ways a positional game, in that your position at the poker table can give you a certain advantage or disadvantage. Basically, the most advantageous position at the table is as the dealer button, because it allows you to act last in any round of betting. This gives you the opportunity to assess the information you gather from your opponents before making your bet and choosing your hand, such as their pre-bet size, the number of cards they have drawn, and then their post-draw bet size. For example, if in a 5 Card Draw game your opponent makes a relatively small bet and then draws 3 cards, you can assume that his/her hand is weak and in turn draw only 1 card and bet a large post-draw amount to take the pot.
Starting hands
There are many ways that one can go about starting to build their hands in 5 Card Draw, yet to be 100% sure, unless you have posted one of the blinds, only move on to the flop if you have at least a pair of jacks. This is the poker strategy assumed by most professionals in 5 Card Draw – yes, short but sweet. When this isn’t possible you can also use any of the following:
• Any pat hand (quads, straights, full houses and flushes, or those that mean you don’t have to draw any more cards after).
• Trips
• 2 pairs
• a high pair
Some final poker strategy tips:
1. Look for 5 Card Draw tables with a high flop percentage, because players rarely bluff at this level and it is therefore easier to win.
2. If you are holding a decent couple of cards then bet well before the draw, because those with weak hands will only bet small – Poker strategy is about thinking ahead!