PLAYING TIPS for 42 DRAW POKER
|
HOW TO PLAY FORTY-TWO DRAW POKER:
42 Draw Poker is a variation of draw poker. Each player is dealt 4 hole cards and there are two board cards. After a round of betting 1 of the board cards is turned face up, another betting round and the second is turned up. Players may then discard and draw up to 2 cards to their hole cards. Players make their hand by using any 5 of the 6 cards available to them (4 hole cards and 2 board cards). May be played high-low split. With only 4 hole cards and a maximum draw of 2 cards, 42 Draw Poker will usually accommodate up to 8 players. |
SUMMARY of ACTION:
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Place 2 cards face down on table. Bet Reveal 1 card. Bet Reveal 2nd card. Bet Draw cards (maximum 2 cards per player). Bet High only or Hi-Lo Cards Speak: Showdown High-Low Declaration: Declare Bet Showdown
|
PLAYING TIPS for 42 DRAW POKER
In Forty-Two Draw poker you will have to use at least 3 of your dealt cards to make your hand. This makes your hole cards the most important factor in determining your hands likely strength. You must have good starting cards in order to have a chance to draw to a final hand that stands a decent chance of winning.
Because 42 draw poker offers the opportunity to draw cards, one might be tempted to play just about any starting hand, even with just something like A2. Fight that temptation. You should really have at least 3 good cards in your hand, or cards with multiple potentials in order to play. Consider using the similar starting hand selection that you would use in 5 card draw. Bear in mind that, in contrast to 5 card draw, you may have radically different drawing odds to some hands. For example: with 2 suited cards in your hand and both of the board cards that same suit you can draw 2 cards to hit just the one card you need to make a flush. A similar situation occurs when holding 2 pair by using both board cards and 2 hole cards. But be careful. Other players may have similar draws, so your flush or full house better be big. Never announce your drawing decision until it is your turn.
Position is very important in 42 draw poker. Because this game includes the opportunity to draw cards the players in late position have an advantage. They get to learn how many cards the players before them draw before they have to make their own draw. As an example, suppose the board is KQ and everyone before you draws 2 cards. You should consider standing pat with just about any low hand. Standing pat signals that you have a good hand. And the odds are against another player drawing 2 cards to make a low that they would be comfortable calling you with. But, in order to make your standing pat believable, it is important to show strength before the draw.
STARTING HAND SELECTION
With 2 common board cards plus the opportunity to draw to your hole cards you have a very good chance to improve your initial holding, provided you have a decent start. But these opportunities often make 42 Draw Poker a bit complicated, so pay careful attention to what you have, what you're drawing to and what hands your opponents might have.
For high you would love to start with trips. The board will then give you 2 chances to either pair your remaining hole card or find the fourth card to your trips. If that fails, you will still have a one card draw to quads or to pair one of the 2 board cards. If the board cards pair themselves, you will also make a full house that way. Should that occur, you’d prefer that the pair on the board be of a lower rank than the trips in your hand. If the reverse occurs, you must allow for the very real chance that someone else has made a better full house than you or has a draw to one. If the trips in your hand do not improve but they are fairly high and the two board cards are both of a lower rank and are not coordinated (not suited or connected), your tips still might win on its own.
Other excellent starting hands would be 4 to a straight flush, 4 to a flush or 4 to a straight. It is to your advantage for these 4 card hands to be made of low cards as it also gives you the possibility of making a good low hand. Note that these 4 card hands are not complete. You must get help from the board cards to make your hand. Also note that if the board misses your 4 card flush is now dead unless it has low potential. A 4 card straight may still have a flicker of hope. If 1 board card is 1 gapped from your straight you have a 1 card draw to an inside straight. (e.g., You hold 8765 and the board contains a ten. You could dump your 5 for a 1 card draw to a 9.) Though possible in theory it is difficult to imagine a situation in which you will be getting the correct pot odds to make it pay off. And, even if you hit you could still lose to a better hand.
2 pair is also a worthwhile starting hand giving you a shot at a full house or better. But, if it does not improve it does not stand much of a chance of winning by itself, especially if one of the board cards is higher than your highest pair. If your hand has no other potential and you continue to play your best bet is to dump the lower of your pairs, draw 2 cards and hope.
A single pair, especially aces, may be worth playing if you also have cards that give you other possibilities as well, like 3 to a straight or flush or 3 very low cards. To become a winner, a single pair is going to need help both from the board and by drawing cards
For low you would like to have 3 cards of 5 or less or 4 cards of 6 or less. Perhaps even a "good" 7-low like 742A. The board cards have a major bearing on this. If both of those 2 cards are 6 or under, even a pat 7 low may not be enough. If one of the board cards is higher than your highest card you are usually in decent shape. If they are both higher you are in even better shape. If you are dealt 432A you have the guaranteed best low hand unless one or both of the board cards are 4, 3, 2 or ace. If it is just 1 card that matches you still have a draw to the best low. When 2 match, you may need to change your strategy as you will have 2 pair and drawing for a full house might be a better option.
In Forty-Two Draw poker you will have to use at least 3 of your dealt cards to make your hand. This makes your hole cards the most important factor in determining your hands likely strength. You must have good starting cards in order to have a chance to draw to a final hand that stands a decent chance of winning.
Because 42 draw poker offers the opportunity to draw cards, one might be tempted to play just about any starting hand, even with just something like A2. Fight that temptation. You should really have at least 3 good cards in your hand, or cards with multiple potentials in order to play. Consider using the similar starting hand selection that you would use in 5 card draw. Bear in mind that, in contrast to 5 card draw, you may have radically different drawing odds to some hands. For example: with 2 suited cards in your hand and both of the board cards that same suit you can draw 2 cards to hit just the one card you need to make a flush. A similar situation occurs when holding 2 pair by using both board cards and 2 hole cards. But be careful. Other players may have similar draws, so your flush or full house better be big. Never announce your drawing decision until it is your turn.
Position is very important in 42 draw poker. Because this game includes the opportunity to draw cards the players in late position have an advantage. They get to learn how many cards the players before them draw before they have to make their own draw. As an example, suppose the board is KQ and everyone before you draws 2 cards. You should consider standing pat with just about any low hand. Standing pat signals that you have a good hand. And the odds are against another player drawing 2 cards to make a low that they would be comfortable calling you with. But, in order to make your standing pat believable, it is important to show strength before the draw.
STARTING HAND SELECTION
With 2 common board cards plus the opportunity to draw to your hole cards you have a very good chance to improve your initial holding, provided you have a decent start. But these opportunities often make 42 Draw Poker a bit complicated, so pay careful attention to what you have, what you're drawing to and what hands your opponents might have.
For high you would love to start with trips. The board will then give you 2 chances to either pair your remaining hole card or find the fourth card to your trips. If that fails, you will still have a one card draw to quads or to pair one of the 2 board cards. If the board cards pair themselves, you will also make a full house that way. Should that occur, you’d prefer that the pair on the board be of a lower rank than the trips in your hand. If the reverse occurs, you must allow for the very real chance that someone else has made a better full house than you or has a draw to one. If the trips in your hand do not improve but they are fairly high and the two board cards are both of a lower rank and are not coordinated (not suited or connected), your tips still might win on its own.
Other excellent starting hands would be 4 to a straight flush, 4 to a flush or 4 to a straight. It is to your advantage for these 4 card hands to be made of low cards as it also gives you the possibility of making a good low hand. Note that these 4 card hands are not complete. You must get help from the board cards to make your hand. Also note that if the board misses your 4 card flush is now dead unless it has low potential. A 4 card straight may still have a flicker of hope. If 1 board card is 1 gapped from your straight you have a 1 card draw to an inside straight. (e.g., You hold 8765 and the board contains a ten. You could dump your 5 for a 1 card draw to a 9.) Though possible in theory it is difficult to imagine a situation in which you will be getting the correct pot odds to make it pay off. And, even if you hit you could still lose to a better hand.
2 pair is also a worthwhile starting hand giving you a shot at a full house or better. But, if it does not improve it does not stand much of a chance of winning by itself, especially if one of the board cards is higher than your highest pair. If your hand has no other potential and you continue to play your best bet is to dump the lower of your pairs, draw 2 cards and hope.
A single pair, especially aces, may be worth playing if you also have cards that give you other possibilities as well, like 3 to a straight or flush or 3 very low cards. To become a winner, a single pair is going to need help both from the board and by drawing cards
For low you would like to have 3 cards of 5 or less or 4 cards of 6 or less. Perhaps even a "good" 7-low like 742A. The board cards have a major bearing on this. If both of those 2 cards are 6 or under, even a pat 7 low may not be enough. If one of the board cards is higher than your highest card you are usually in decent shape. If they are both higher you are in even better shape. If you are dealt 432A you have the guaranteed best low hand unless one or both of the board cards are 4, 3, 2 or ace. If it is just 1 card that matches you still have a draw to the best low. When 2 match, you may need to change your strategy as you will have 2 pair and drawing for a full house might be a better option.