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5-Card Draw – a short history
Playing cards are an Asian invention, as many other of the most entertaining games in history. They have suffered a series of transformations during the millenia, turning into the standard 52-card deck we know and love. Shortly after cards have made their way into Europe, poker was invented. 5-Card Draw is one of the poker games with the longest history.
5-Card Draw‘s origins are subject to a debate. Some sources consider an Asian card game as its ancestor, others claim that an European card game can be found at its base. One thing is for sure – 5-Card Draw was played in the United States as early as the 1830s. It was a favored game of steam boters traveling up and down the Mississippi. It spread all across the United States during the Gold Rush, becoming more popular by the day. It was during the Gold Rush when the game of 5-Card Draw received its ‘draw’ part – until then it was played as a ‘straight’ game, with a complete hand being dealt to each player and being compared after a simple round of betting.
Both sides fighting the American Civil War played 5-Card Draw, contributing even more to the spread and growing popularity of the game. Soldiers played this game in trenches and in barracks, spreading it all over the US. Ultimately, the game evolved into the 5-Card Draw we know and play today.
Although not the most popular poker variant, 5-Card Draw had a huge contribution in the evolution of the poker hand ranking system. It served as a basis for the development of other popular poker variants, like stud games and hold’em games.
Although it was overtaken in popularity by more complex variants, like Texas Hold’em and 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Draw is still a greatly appreciated game, being present in most online poker rooms and on several poker tournaments. It’s a game with a steep learning curve, easy to learn and play. Also, it is a fun game – casual poker players appreciate this game for its simplicity.
Many players, such as yours truly, have learned 5-Card Draw during their childhood, playing against friends and family. It is not the preferred game of the professional players, though, due to its reduced number of betting rounds (only two). This might be the reason for which it was replaced by more complex and lucrative games like Texas Hold’em. But even so, 5-Card Draw remains one of the most popular poker games, being available in most online poker rooms.
