Variations of Draw Poker
Now that you've mastered draw poker, it's about time you learn what else you can play. Other variations of draw poker makes the poker session interesting. Knowledge of other variations comes in handy especially when it is dealer's choice.
For a quick game of draw poker, try cold hands. The players involved agree upon a certain amount as ante. Each player puts up this amount at the beginning of the round. The dealer, starting from his left, distributes the cards face up to each player one at a time. The best hand wins. It's relatively fast paced because the players don't draw from the stack and there are no betting intervals.
Another fast paced variation is straight poker. This happens to be the original form of poker. The players are dealt five cards face down. They take a look at their cards and then bet. Until all bets have been settled i.e. raises have been called, the active players go into a showdown. Just like any poker game, the best hand wins the pot. The players don't draw from the stack.
The next form is called spit in the ocean. It starts with the dealer only giving four cards face down to each player one at a time. The dealer places a card face up on the table for all the players to see. This is the wild card and will serve as the fifth card in all of the player's hands. Since it is a wild card, the remaining cards with the same value as the wild card are also considered to be wild cards. The players bet on their hands. After the first round of betting, the players can draw. They can only draw for a four card hand since the wild card in the center of the table is their fifth card. After drawing, another betting interval ensues and then a showdown.
The variation wild widow is also a form that involves a wild card. Only this time the players are dealt five cards face down. The dealer places a card face up at the center of the table. This will become the wild card. The remaining three cards of the same value serves as wild cards in the game. The players bet on their cards and then drawing begins. After drawing, the players bet again and the remaining players have a showdown.
Shotgun allows the players to have three cards at the beginning of the game. The players bet on their cards. After the first round of betting, the dealer distributes the fourth card to the active players. Another betting interval ensues. The remaining players receive the fifth card and bet on their hands. The players who have five card hands can only draw. Then, there is a final round of betting and a showdown to determine the winner.
Just some of the many variations of draw poker. Some are fast paced while some take a little time to finish. Either way, it doesn't hurt to change it up every now and then. You never know, you might end up liking one of these variations of draw poker.