Each player is dealt five cards, one at a time, and all the cards are placed face down. The remainder of the deck is placed to one side while players examine their hands, and then decide to bet or fold.

The first poker online variant most people learn is Five-Card Draw. This is a popular variant of poker in home games, but is not usually seen in casinos. The other variations, such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha Hi will be discussed later.

If there is still more than one player left in the game, then there is a showdown, where all the players reveal their hands, and the player with the best hand wins on the spot.

After the players have been dealt their replacement cards, a second round of betting begins.

If, after the first round of betting, more than one player remains, the ‘draw’ phase will begin – each player can choose to discard a number of cards and replace them with an equal number of cards from the deck.

If you are playing Five Card Draw poker in an online casino style situation, the first betting round would begin with the player to the left of the blind. The rounds that follow will begin with the player to the left of the dealer. In a more casual home game, players begin with an ante.

Five Card Draw poker is easy to learn and a good foundation for the other poker variations, which are discussed elsewhere on this site.