Table Of Contents
One of the simplest variants of poker, and one that is many poker player's first introduction to the game of poker, is 5-Card Draw.
More common in home games than it is in casinos, 5-card draw has been overtaken in the popularity by games such as Texas hold'em and Omaha poker.
Main Features of 3 Card Poker. The player can play on up to four boxes in three card poker. The player can place an ANTE bet and/or a bet on the bonus (called Pair Plus) on any box. Each box in play is dealt three cards. The cards on all boxes are turned face-up immediately after the deal in 3 Card Poker. Three Card Poker is one of the simplest table games in Las Vegas to learn. There is only one rule related to skill to understand. #1: Place Your Bets – There are two bets on most Three Card Poker tables. One is the Ante. The other is Pair Plus. Players may bet on one of these or both. Unlike most poker table games, there is no obligation to.
But there are still plenty of 5-card draw fans around the world — particularly in the online world where several online poker sites offer cash games and tournaments.
Free £20 to Play 5-Card Draw OnlineActivate this no deposit offer to play free 5-card draw games on 888poker!
Play NowHow to Play 5-Card Draw Poker
If you have played any other form of poker, 5-card draw rules are similar in that the aim of the game is to make the best five-card poker hand.
Like Texas hold'em, the poker hand rankings, from weakest to strongest, are as follows:
- High card
- One pair
- Two pair
- Three-of-a-kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Full house
- Four-of-a-kind
- Straight flush
- Royal Flush
When it comes to preflop betting, there are two different methods used in 5-card draw.
Either all players pay an ante before receiving their cards (this is more common in home games), or there is a small blind and big blind similar to hold'em and Omaha games (this is the most common on online poker sites and in casinos).
Three different betting structures exist for 5-card draw, too.
You can play 5-card draw poker as:
- Fixed-limit
- Pot-limit
- No-limit
While all three formats play to the same poker rules, the different betting structures mean your strategy needs to be adapted.
For example, some hands that you wouldn't play in fixed-limit 5-card draw become playable in no-limit 5-card draw because in the latter you can bet enough to force your opponent to fold.
Regardless of the betting structure, this is how to play 5-card draw.
Five-Card Draw Basics
Once everyone has paid the ante or the blinds, each player receives five cards face down.
A round of betting then occurs.
If more than one player remains after that first round of betting, there follows a first round of drawing.
Each active player specifies how many cards he or she wishes to discard and replace with new cards from the deck.
If you are happy with your holding and do not want to draw any cards, you 'stand pat.'
Once the drawing round is completed, there is another round of betting.
After that if there is more than one player remaining, a showdown occurs in which the player with the best five-card poker hand wins.
As you can see, the rules for 5-card draw are simple and make for a fast-paced game, which is why the game is popular with new, less experienced players.
Basic 5-Card Draw Strategy
The fact you can learn how to play five-card draw poker in a few minutes doesn't mean that you will not need to practice to go from beginner to pro.
How To Play 3 Cards
The best way to do that, is to practice online — possibly with some free games. If you have a few minutes to try a game or two, have a look at 888poker.
You can play with a no deposit bonus on signup that you can use to discover 5-card draw poker and master all the basic and advanced strategy tips that follow.
One trap lesser-skilled 5-card draw players often fall into is playing far too many hands, particularly hands drawing to a straight or flush.
In many cases, the saying 'tight is right' applies when it comes to starting hand selection in 5-card draw.
As in games with community cards, your position in relation to the button is also important in 5-card draw poker.
The closer to the button you are, the wider the range of hands you can play profitably.
Regardless of your position, you should almost always enter the pot with a raise because limping in usually results in several other players limping behind, which in turn means you need a much stronger hand to win the pot.
Play tight from early positions and raise with hands such as aces or kings.
As your position improves, you can add other high pairs such as queens, jacks, tens, and nines, so long as the latter has a good kicker to back it up.
Those of you fortunate enough to have been dealt two pair or three-of-a-kind should always come out raising whether you're under the gun or on the button.
Meanwhile be wary of holdings such as four to a straight or flush, because these are hands with which some players bleed away their bankroll.
With one card to come, you're around a 4-to-1 underdog to hit your hand, and often you won't have the correct pot odds to attempt filling your straight or flush, particularly in a short-handed game.
What Should I Discard in 5-Card Draw?
Knowing what cards to discard during the drawing round is what makes and breaks a 5-card poker player.
On a basic level you should consider the following:
| What you hold | What you should do |
|---|---|
| One pair | Draw three cards |
| Two pair | Draw one card |
| Three-of-a-kind | Draw two cards |
The above list is only scratching the surface of what you should draw in 5-card draw. Adhering to it, particularly in low-stakes games, should yield positive results.
Advanced 5-Card Draw Strategy
Once you have a grasp of the basics and are feeling more confident with how to play 5-card draw, you can start applying some more advanced strategies to your game.
There is a large psychological element to 5-card draw thanks in large part to the drawing element of the game.
For example, while it is statistically the best play to draw three cards when you hold a pair, if you always make this play your opponents will be able to read your hand easily and alter their strategy to defeat you.
You need sometimes only to draw to one or two cards with a pair in your hand — or even to stand pat — in order to represent a holding stronger than what you actually have.
Unlike in games such as hold'em, there is rarely any stone cold bluffing in 5-card draw.
Players usually have at least a playable hand when betting even if they are indeed bluffing. This is why it is vitally important to take detailed notes when playing 5-card draw because they are extremely helpful.
Should you make a note that a player only opens with a pair of jacks or stronger on the button, you can easily fold a pair of nines in the blinds instead of calling.
Where Can I Play 5-Card Draw Online
As mentioned at the start of the article, 5-card draw is not a game that enjoys as much popularity as the likes of hold'em, but there are some places where you can play 5-card draw online.

The safest option is to download PokerStars to play some games there.
PokerStars is your best bet for finding both 5-card draw cash games and tournaments at a variety of limits.
It is also possible to hone your skills at the play money tables there and play 5-card draw online poker free of charge with no risk to your bankroll.
Photo: Flush Poker Hand - Hearts, Guts Gaming. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.
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Nearly all Las Vegas casinos of any significance spread three Card Poker. The minimum bets range from $2 at Joker’s Wild to $15 at Aria. Players will need double the Ante bet to play, meaning that the true minimum bet is double the posted amount. This does not include the Pair Plus side bet, which may be bet by itself without an accompanying Ante wager.
The game’s appeal is its simplicity. While it has a small element of skill, it is easy to learn. The house edge is reasonable to most players. It is typically a friendly crowd at the tables.
How to Play Three Card Poker
Three Card Poker is one of the simplest table games in Las Vegas to learn. There is only one rule related to skill to understand.
#2: Raise or Fold – Players and the dealer are dealt three cards face down. Players look at their three cards and decide whether to raise. If the player has queen-six-four or higher, the player should raise. The Raise bet is equal to the amount of the Ante. If the player does not raise, he folds. The dealer then looks at the house hand and compares it to each player.
- If the dealer beats the player, the Raise loses.
- The Ante loses if the player has less than a straight, keeping in mind that a straight ranks higher than a flush in Three Card Poker.
- Antes push if the dealer does not make at least queen-high.
Flush or Higher Payouts
If the player makes a flush or higher, the Ante is paid based on the following chart, regardless of whether the player wins or loses:
- Straight Flush: 5-1
- Three of a Kind: 4-1
- Straight: 1-1
How To Deal Three Card Poker Youtube
Pair Plus Payouts
The Pair Plus is paid whether the player wins or loses. It pays based on the following:
- Straight Flush: 40-1
- Three of a Kind: 30-1
- Straight: 6-1
- Flush: Either 4-1 or 3-1
- Any Pair: 1-1

If you are not in Las Vegas, you can still play Three Card Poker against a live dealer and get a Vegas experience.
Playing Three Card Poker at Las Vegas Casinos in 2018
Four Card Poker Rules
| Casino | Game | Min Bet | Max Bet | # of Tables | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Queens | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Aliante Casino | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Aria | Three Card Poker | 10 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Aria | Three Card Poker | 25 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| Bally’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 7 | No |
| Bally’s | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Bellagio | Three Card Poker | 15 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Binion’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Boulder Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 50 | 1 | No |
| Caesars Palace | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Caesars Palace | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 7 | No |
| Caesars Palace | Three Card Poker | 15 | 500 | 2 | No |
| California | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Casino Royale | Three Card Poker | 5 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| Circus Circus | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 2 | No |
| Club Fortune | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Cosmopolitan | Three Card Poker | 15 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Cromwell | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Cromwell | Three Card Poker | 15 | 300 | 1 | No |
| Downtown Grand | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| El Cortez | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Encore | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Excalibur | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Fiesta Henderson | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Flamingo | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 7 | No |
| Flamingo | Three Card Poker | 15 | 300 | 1 | No |
| Fremont | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Gold Coast | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 2 | No |
| Golden Gate | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 2 | No |
| Golden Nugget | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 2 | No |
| Green Valley Ranch | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| Hard Rock | Three Card Poker | 10 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Harrah’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Harrah’s | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 5 | No |
| Hooters | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Joker’s Wild | Three Card Poker | 2 | 25 | 1 | No |
| Linq | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 3 | No |
| Luxor | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 2 | No |
| M Resort | Three Card Poker | 5 | 1000 | 2 | No |
| Main Street Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 50 | 1 | No |
| Mandalay Bay | Three Card Poker | 10 | 1000 | 2 | No |
| Mandalay Bay | Three Card Poker | 15 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| MGM Grand | Three Card Poker | 25 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Mirage | Three Card Poker | 15 | 1000 | 3 | No |
| Monte Carlo | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 1 | No |
| NYNY | Three Card Poker | 10 | 200 | 2 | No |
| Orleans | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 3 | No |
| O’Sheas | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 1 | No |
| Palace Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 1000 | 1 | No |
| Palazzo | Three Card Poker | 15 | 2000 | 3 | No |
| Palms | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Paris | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 4 | No |
| Paris | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Planet Hollywood | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 4 | No |
| Planet Hollywood | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Plaza | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Railroad Pass | Three Card Poker | 3 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Red Rock | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 2 | No |
| Rio | Three Card Poker | 5 | 500 | 4 | No |
| Rio | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 2 | No |
| Sam’s Town | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Santa Fe Station | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Silver 7’s | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Silverton | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| Sahara Las Vegas | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 1 | No |
| South Point | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 3 | No |
| Stratosphere | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 2 | No |
| Suncoast | Three Card Poker | 5 | 100 | 1 | No |
| The D | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 2 | No |
| Treasure Island | Three Card Poker | 10 | 300 | 2 | No |
| Tropicana | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Venetian | Three Card Poker | 10 | 500 | 3 | No |
| Westgate | Three Card Poker | 5 | 200 | 1 | No |
| Wynn | Three Card Poker | 15 | 500 | 4 | No |