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Playing Tips for 52 Draw Poker
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Fifty-Two Draw Poker is a variation of draw poker which also includes some common board cards. Each player is dealt 5 hole cards. Two cards are placed face down on the table. After a round of betting 1 of the cards is turned face up, another betting round and the second is turned up. Players may discard and draw up to 3 cards to their hole cards. Players must use all 5 hole cards OR 3 hole cards and both board cards to make their hand. (4 and 1 is not permitted.) May be played high-low split.
The first thing to remember in fifty-two draw poker is that you must play either the five cards in your hand or 3 from your hand and both of the board cards. You can not play 4 from your hand and just one of the board cards. | |
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By keeping the requirement noted above in mind, it is fairly easy to identify the types of starting hands you’d like to get:
A pat high hand: straight, flush, full house or 4 of a kind. Bear in mind that these are long shots. In round numbers, about 1 chance in 250, 500, 650 or 4000, respectively.
A pat low hand: Generally at least an 8 low, but, obviously, the lower the better. The 2 board cards have a major bearing on this. If those 2 cards are both 7 or under, even your pat 8 low may not be enough. But, if one or both of the board cards is higher than your highest card you are usually in decent shape. When playing for low you always want your 5 card hand to be better than the best hand that can be made with the board cards. For example, with a board of 87, you want to have no worse than 86 for low.
Trips is also a good starting hand (about a 1:50 shot). If the board pairs, you have a full house. But, be cautious if the board pair is of a higher rank than your trips. You also have the opportunity to improve by drawing. Depending upon the board cards, trips may even stand up by themselves. But, if the board cards are coordinated (eg suited or connected) or both higher than your trips, play them cautiously and be prepared to fold them if you do not improve.
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Because there is the opportunity to draw cards, one might be tempted to play just about any starting hand, even something like A2. Fight that temptation. You should really have at least 3 cards in your hand, or cards with multiple potentials in order to play. Consider using the same starting hand selection that you would use in 5 card draw, because that is basically what this game is. 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 3 cards to hit just the one card you need to make a flush. A similar situation occurs with a pair in your hand and a pair on the board. But, be careful. Other players may have these same draws, so your flush or full house better be big.
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Position is important in 52 draw poker. Because of the opportunity to draw cards, 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. That is valuable information for reading your opponents' intent to play high or low. As an example, suppose the board is KJ and everyone before you draws 2 or 3 cards. You should consider standing pat with just about any low hand. Standing pat will signal you have a very good hand. And, the odds are against an opponent drawing 2 or 3 cards to make a good low. Never announce your drawing decision until it is your turn.
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