How to Play Seven Card Draw

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Earlier this week, we talked about the five best poker games to teach kids. One of those games was Seven Card Draw. While Seven Card Draw is not spread in live casinos or online poker rooms, it is still played in home games on occasion.

Today, we will teach you the basic rules of Seven Card Draw along with some basic strategies for playing the game.

Rules for Seven Card Draw

The rules to Seven Card Draw are similar to Five Card Draw. There are two distinct differences. First, you are dealt seven cards as opposed to five. Next, most Seven Card Draw games only allow you to draw up to four cards. Also, players can draw four cards without having an ace.

For this game, it is usually best to play the game five-handed in order to keep from having to use the discard pile. In games with more than five players, you may have to use the discard pile in order to exchange cards.

You can play this game in one of two ways. First, you can play with or without antes or blinds. Some games only require players ante before receiving cards. Other games require the posting of blinds such as in Texas Hold’em.

After any blinds or antes are posted, each player receives seven cards face down. A round of betting then occurs. You will then have a drawing round where players can take up to four cards. If you have more than five players and more than five players stay in the hand to the drawing round, you may have to use the discard pile to exchange cards.

The way this is done is that all discarded cards are gathered up and then shuffled. You then continue as normal with exchanging cards.

After the drawing round, there is a final round of betting. Players then show their cards. You will make your best five-card hand using the seven cards in your hand. All standard hand rules apply in non-wild card games.

Playing With Wild Cards

Depending on the game, you may run across Seven Card Draw with wild cards. The number of wild cards will determine the luck factor involved. If the number of wilds is low, such as two jokers or one-eyed jacks, then the game still retains a skill element.

If you’re playing with four or more wild cards, then the game becomes a card catching contest. If you’re playing for very low stakes, such as penny poker, or playing for fun, wild card games are fine. Otherwise, try and avoid them.

General Strategy For Seven Card Draw

Due to the nature of the game, you’re going to need a higher quality hand to win. You’re not going to win that often with a single pair and there are many times where two pair won’t cut it. When you have to draw four cards, try and draw holding at least a pair or three to a flush. Three to a straight is not recommended unless they are high cards.

When drawing three cards, you want to be drawing with two pair or four to a flush or straight. Don’t hold trips and a high kicker. You’re better off to draw four and try and catch quads.

Two card draws are somewhat rare and should only be used either as deception or when you have a made hand that can be improved. For example, you have jack-high straight with four hearts. You can draw two and try and improve to a flush. You could also draw two when holding a full house to see if you can catch quads.

One card draws are a bit rare and the only real reason you’d do so is if you’re holding a made hand but you also have a draw to a better hand. For example, if that Jack-high straight had three hearts and you also had the deuce of hearts. You might draw one to a flush.

Playing With Wild Cards

If you play with wild cards, you can throw the lower hand ranges out of the window. In most wild card games, you are going to have four or more wild cards. This makes the game almost entirely luck-based. As such, you want to avoid drawing to anything less than a full house.

If you pick up a hand and it does not contain a wild card, go ahead and fold unless you are drawing to a full house or better. The exception is when there are no blinds and nobody chooses to bet pre-draw. For this game, you want to be drawing with at least three of a kind and at least one wild card. The average winning hand is going to be a full house in many wild card games, so you’re better off to shoot for a big hand to start.

When playing wild card games, choose to play like a rock. You won’t be involved in a ton of hands, but often the hands you do play will win big.