Five Card Draw... for Dummies

          To be honest, I don't play poker games (except this) all that much. It's not that they're not fun, I just don't like to gamble away my money on games too often -i.e. I'm spineless. However, this is still a game that everyone should have in their repertoire. For those of you who are a little more daring with your cash, this game can be a great way to have a good time and swindle others out of their money.

The Basics:

• 2-6 players recommended
• The objective is to have the best five-card hand at the table.
• Standard 52-card deck(s)
• Cash, fake or real, required
• A "dealer chip" required

The Gameplay:

1. Each player antes, or puts a set amount of cash into the pot. This is the money to be won by the player with the best poker hand.
2. The cards are dealt out, five to each player.
3. The player to the left of the dealer decides whether to bet, or check (not bet) depending on their cards. Betting goes clockwise, with subsequent players deciding whether to raise call (match) a bet, or fold (give up). This continues until everyone is satisfied with their bets. Note that folding does not result in a refund of one's money.
4. All those who are still playing determine how many of their cards they wish to replace. This is done in a clockwise fashion.
5. Another round of betting occurs, just like in step 2. 
6. The poker hands are turned over, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.

The Hands:

(unless you're this guy)

• Four of a Kind with a Kicker- (ex. K K K K A) Less than 1 in 1000 of your hands should actually produce this. Pretty self-explanatory. If you play against someone with this hand, give up the fight of your life.
• Full House- (ex. 3 3 3 2 2) This hand is rarer than it may seem, and I assure you, it's really quite good. Kick ass and relax with this hand. A triplet and a pair make a really good team.
• Flush - (ex. 2 5 7 J A of hearts) You're pretty well off if you've got this. This trumps everything lower on the list, and consists of five cards of the same suit. In the case of a tie, the highest card of the flush counts for the win, and so on and so forth.
• Straight- (ex. 5 thru 9, off suit) Not a bad hand at all. 5 cards with their values in a row, but not all of the same suit. The highest card in the straight is used as a tie-breaker. 
• Three of a Kind- A fairly uncommon and decent hand that can lure someone with a two pair out of a lot of money. The other two lone cards are used as tie breakers.
• Two Pair- (ex. two 6's, two 9's) A somewhat common hand that can usually win the round. In the case of a dispute, the highest pair overall wins. A single card tiebreaker is used if necessary.
• Double Card/Pair- A very common hand, and therefore the second worst. If the win comes to a tie between pairs, the higher value pair wins. If the pairs are the same value, then the rest of the cards are used in a single card tiebreaker.
• Single Card/High Card- It's  impossible to not have this hand- which is why it is so worthless. If no player has a rarer hand, the winner is determined by who has the highest value single card. If there is a tie, the second highest card is used, then third, etc. On the off-chance that everything is a tie, those two players will split the pot.

Tips and advice to come. Clarifications, questions, or comments? We're always willing to help.