Draw poker is a different animal from the family of stud poker games or the community card games, like Texas Hold'em and Omaha. The fundamental element of stud poker and Texas Hold'em is the existence of "board cards," either unique to each player, as in seven-card stud, or common cards, as in Texas Hold'em. Draw poker is altogether different because none of the other players' cards are ever visible to you. Hands are able to improve through a draw rather than by revealing board cards.

This essential difference has an impact on betting and bluffing, as it is harder for other players to evaluate whether the player has a chance of possessing what he or she is representing in a bet. On the other hand, the number of cards drawn by each player is a source of additional information that does not occur in the other games.

Like Texas Hold'em and other community card games, draw poker can use blinds. That is to say, the person to the left of the dealer is the "small blind" and makes a mandatory ½ bet to get things started. The next person to the left is the "big blind," who makes a full bet at the start of play.

By the same token, draw poker is often played with just antes, in which each player in the game puts up a half-bet (usually) prior to the deal. In that case, the betting commences with the person to the left of the deal. The function of antes or blind bets is to create enough of a pot to make it worthwhile to play the cards.

Remember, the pot odds have to be high enough to justify the draw envisioned. So with a low pot, few plays are really correct to try. If everybody checks, there is a re-ante (in ante games) or a new set of blind bets (in blind games), and a new set of cards is distributed. Eventually the pot will be large enough or someone will be dealt cards good enough to justify a play.

Five cards are dealt face down to each player. The dealer places the rest of the deck to one side and often puts a marker on it.

Players may pick up their cards or just peek at them by raising the corners off the table just enough to see. Then they are left there. This is the recommended approach over actually picking up the cards.

Betting commences with the person to the left of the deal in ante games and to the left of the big blind in blind games. That person may fold, check or bet in ante games. In blind games, the person can fold, call the big blind's bet or raise it. Then each player takes a turn, clockwise, either folding, calling or raising. Usually there's a three raise limit per round, so the later players conceivably may not be able to raise.

If more than one player remains after betting, a draw takes place. Each player in turn requests or "draws" cards from zero to five. Then a second round of betting ensues, beginning with the first active player to the dealer's left, followed by a showdown if necessary. The highest hand wins. Cards speak (for themselves). The dealer collects the cards and the chips and pays the winner.

The hierarchy of winning poker hands is the conventional order used in almost all poker games.