How To Play 5 Card Poker

If you are heading to or hosting a poker night, it is a good idea to know how to play 5-card poker. Although 5-card poker is not played as often as other poker games, it is a good game to know how to play. Playing a game of 5-card poker is much like playing any of the other variants of poker. If you already know how to play another variant of poker, such as stud, learning how to play 5-card poker will be a breeze.

To play 5-card poker, you will need:

• A deck of cards
• Poker buddies

1. Choose a dealer. Pick one person from the group to deal the cards for the first hand. The dealer position will rotate after the first hand to the person sitting to the dealer's left.
2. Everyone antes. Everyone puts in an ante. An ante is a set amount of money to bet at the start of a poker game.
3. Deal the cards. When you play 5-card poker, each player is dealt five cards face down on the table in front of them. The extra cards are kept face down next to the dealer.
4. Pick up the cards. Look at your hand. You are looking to get the best combinations of cards. The card combinations from lowest to highest are as follows; high card (highest card wins), one pair, two pair, three of a kind, a straight (consecutive cards of any suit), a flush (all the same suit), a full house (two of one card, three of another), four of a kind, a straight flush (consecutive cards of the same suit) and a royal flush (ten through ace of the same suit).
5. Decide what to dump. In 5-card poker you are able to discard up to three cards. If you are holding an ace you are able to discard four cards. Keep what you need to make the best poker hand that you can.
6. Deal new cards. The dealer will then deal new cards to each player. Unlike the first deal, each player will receive all their cards before the dealer moves to the next player.
7. Place another bet. After all the cards are dealt, players are able to bet again. A player that does not want to bet is able to drop out, or fold, during this round.
8. Call the cards. Once everyone has finished betting and the cards are called, the players that remain in the game flip their cards over to reveal the winner.
9. Winner gets the pot. The player with the best poker hand receives the entire pot.

Spending the evening playing 5-card poker can be fun. Some players place variables on the rules for a more exciting game. During a game of 5-card poker you may hear a dealer say that a certain card is wild. It is common to hear deuces and one eyed jacks used as wild cards. A wild card is a card that can be substituted for any other card in the deck. Another common variation for 5-card poker is that you need to have a hand with a pair of jacks or better to win the pot. However you decide to play 5-card poker, you will be sure to have a great time.

Resources:

Casinos.org