Poker Rules 7-A Five Card Draw
7-A Five Card Draw Poker
BASICS. Draw poker has many variations. One of these is the Seven to Ace or 7-A Five Card Draw Poker. It is played with a stripped (reduced) deck by 2-5 players. When there are 2-4 players, all cards of denomination 2-6 are removed. If there are 5 players, then only cards of denomination 2-5 are taken out.
BETTING LIMITS. 7-A Five Card Draw Poker can be played as a limit, pot limit or no limit game.
BLINDS. This game uses blinds to ensure there is always money to be played for in every hand. The blinds are designed and posted just as in Texas Holdem. The small blind makes one-half the minimum wager allowed on the table. The big blind has to make the full minimum bet on the table. If it is a $10/$20 table, the big blind is $10.
OPENING. A 7-A Five Card Draw Poker game begins with the small and big blinds being posted.
DEALING. Next, each player is dealt-in clockwise starting from the dealer's left (small blind). Each player receives five cards face down.
FIRST ROUND OF BETTING. Betting begins with the player on left side of the big blind. In poker lingo, the first bettor is said to be "under the gun." Betting proceeds clockwise (right to left) and each player may either call, fold or raise. They are answering to the big blind bet. So they can call or match the bet, fold or withdraw from the deal, or raise the bet (in which case everyone must call that raise, re-raise or fold to stay in the deal).
When the turn comes to the small blind and they want to call, they need only make a half bet to call the big blind since they already posted half of it. When it is the big blind's turn and nobody has raised, the big blind can check their own bet since they have nothing to answer.
DRAWING. Each player can now discard and replace up to five of their cards. They can also "stand pat" with their cards if they are happy with them. This is what makes draw poker "draw" poker.
SECOND ROUND OF BETTING. Betting starts again with the small blind. But no blinds will be posted this time. The small blind can now check, bet or fold. A check means they can pass to the next player (big blind) since there is no bet to call.
SHOWDOWN. After everyone has acted, if there is more than one player left there is a showdown. It is customary for the last person to act to be the first to show their cards in a showdown.
If only one player is left at the end of the second (or any) round, they win the pot by default and need not show their cards.
WINNING HANDS. The winner is the one with the best poker high hand. An ace can be a low card to complete a low straight: A-7-8-9-10 (or A-6-7-8-9 if the 6 cards are included). If such a straight is suited, it is considered a straight flush.
These are the rules of 7-A Five Card Draw Poker.