Draw Poker

Draw Poker Rule Variations

These are some general draw poker rule variations.  Draw poker rules can be modified in many ways by designating additional wild cards, poker betting rounds, more or fewer cards, altered poker hand values, and any other change agreed upon by all players prior to each deal.  You can announce such a poker game by using the name of an existing game and specifying the poker rule variations.  For example, "three-card triple-draw California Lowball, kings wild" (a surprisingly good game).

Many times this will result in a poker game that does not play well, but occasionally will produce a poker game that is well-suited to a particular group of poker players.  Even if it doesn't, such poker games can be used sparingly to enliven an otherwise serious poker game.

Here are some general draw poker rule guidelines:

If you want to designate some normal suited cards as wild, choose cards that would otherwise be bad for the draw poker game being played.  For example, deuces wild for high-hand games, kings wild for lowball poker, 9 cards wild for high-low split - where an 8-high or lower is necessary to win low.  High-low split games play best with more than four poker players.

When playing high-low split draw poker games, it is necessary to have either a declaration phase or a qualifier (but not both).  The most common form is 8-high or better to qualify low, but also common is any pair / no pair (that is, a pair or better is required to win high, and no pair or better low is required to win low), and 9-high for low.

Designating more than four wild cards will result in considerable confusion and many tie poker hands.

Two to five poker betting rounds makes a good draw poker game.  One poker betting round or more than five poker betting rounds reduces the amount of skill involved in playing the draw poker game.

Giving each poker player more than eight or nine cards usually makes a bad draw poker game.

...go here for a complete Index of the Poker Rules including Texas Holdem and Omaha Poker

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