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Publisher’s Note: 2+2 doesn’t have expertise in this game. So, rather than vouch for the total accuracy of the article, particularly the charts, we encourage readers to analyse it and debate any differences of opinion on the forums.

Draw high, although not as complex as Texas hold ‘em, still demands a great deal of skill to play well. In the last several decades, books written about draw poker cover draw high jacks or better and/or draw high with the joker. However, no online poker site offers these kinds of games today. Nowadays, there is a big and small blind too – not just antes as was formerly done. Players today can open on anything as well – not just jacks or better and, they play with 52 cards in the deck. These kinds of changes in how we play render the old books less than useful because the new changes require a different strategy in order to win. Fortunately, the book Winning Poker Systems by Norman Zadeh, which was published by Prentice-Hall in 1974, can be useful to determine a `best’ winning strategy for the current draw high game. The formulas and charts in that book were used to calculate the winning strategy for this article. The Slice computer program was also used in generating my own table that I used to explicate the strategy set forth. The customs of draw high have changed so new tables are now needed.

Although a novice draw poker player could try using the tables, these tables are meant for the expert player – one who probably already wins at draw and certainly knows how to determine opponents’ worst likely starting hand for that is a basic requirement to use the system. Even if you win, you can probably win more money than you do now. Many players who win at draw probably make a lot of mistakes that they are not aware of. If they can eliminate these errors, they can win more often. As Zadeh said about one who tries to improve at poker just through experience by determining if certain questionable plays are right or wrong: `so many inaccuracies creep into such a process that it is often impossible for a good player to sense when he is following a strategy that is way off’. This problem is now avoided with the tables in this article. You will find tables for the first and second round. These tables show exactly what to open, call and raise with in most common situations. There is even a special section at the end for heads-up play. The system described is based on $1/2 fixed-limit draw high.

To understand the tables, first look at the diagram below. It shows a full table of six players. The first player to act is labelled `5,’ the second player to act `4’ and so forth up to player `0,’ who is in the big blind.    

Strategy for the First Round
Opening Requirements

Table 1: What to Open and Raise with
POSITION	OPEN	RAISE
5	QQ	AA
4	JJ	KK
3	99	QQ
2	66	99
1	A	22

To use Table 1, simply find your position at the table and read across the row. To illustrate, if you are in 5th position, you can call for $1 with QQ or KK, or raise for $2 with at least a pair of Aces.

Calling Requirements

Table 2: Calling against One Opponent who Calls (Bets) $1
Opener’s	Opener’s	Your Position
Position	Worst Hand	4 TO 2	1 TO 0
	2 pair	JJ22	9922
	AA	3322	AAk
	KK	3322	AA
5	QQ	AA	KK
4	JJ	KK	QQ
3	99	QQ	TT
2	77	1010	99
1	44	88	66
0	Q	AQ high	A high

In Table 2, positions 4 to 2 need to have a higher chance of winning than position 1 to 0. This is because, in position 4 to 2 you have not contributed to the blinds but in position 1 to 0 you have and your contribution is considered to be part of any call you make. Therefore, 4 to 2 needs to have a slightly better hand to call than 1 and 0. In actual play, there are times when it pays to vary from the chart slightly. If the player who calls before you always opens on four-straights and open-ended flush draws, then you can call on less; reduce pre-draw calling requirements by two notches – for example, AA becomes QQ.  If however, you are up against two players, increase requirements by one notch, for example QQ becomes KK.

Table 3: Calling against One Opponent who Opens (Raises) $2
Opener’s	Opener’s	Your Position
Position	Worst Hand	5 TO 2	1	0
	3322	QQ22	JJ22	TT22
5	AA	8822	3322	AAk
4	KK	AAk	AAk	AA
3	QQ	AA	KKa	KKa
	JJ	KKa	KK	QQa
2	99	QQ	JJa	TTa
	77	JJ	TT	99a
1	44	99	88	77
	Q	AK	AQ	A

You must have a slightly better hand in general when calling a raise in round one than when calling a bet, since your pot odds are less. If you are up against two players, increase requirements by one notch, for example QQ becomes KK.

Raising Requirements

Table 4: Raising
Opener’s	Opener’s	Min. Raising
Position	Worst Hand	Hand
	3322	222
	AA	JJ22
	KK	7722
5	QQ	3322
4	JJ	AA
3	99	KK
2	77	QQ
1	44	JJ
	Q	44

Against a single opponent, raise according to Table 4. If there are two players then increase raising requirements up by one notch.

Table 5: Calling against a Re-raiser
Your	Re-raisers Worst	Call On
Position	Minimum Hand
5	JJ22	KK22
4	7722	TT22
3	3322	9922
2	KK	AA

Sometimes, when you raise before the draw, someone will re-raise you. In that case, use Table 5. To illustrate, suppose you raised from position 5 and someone re-raises you – to find out whether to call simply look at Table 5, then look at `Your Position 5’, scroll across to `Call On’ and you can see that you must not call unless you have at least KK22. This table is most useful when you have limited information.  If you know what kind of hand an opponent frequently re-raises with before the draw, then use that information instead.

Strategy for the Final Round
Betting

Table 6: Betting against a Single Opponent
Worst Hand he Opens With*	Minimum Betting Hand
8822	444
3322	222
AA	KK22
KK	JJ22
QQ	8822
JJ	3322
99	AAk
66	KK
22	JJa
A	99
Q	77

*Or better. Example: an entry of KK means you figure your opponent opened on a pair of kings or better.
Table 6 shows what hands to bet with after the draw against a single opponent. To illustrate, if you figure your opponent drew three cards to JJ, you should bet after the draw if you make at least 3322, otherwise you should check. If you are second to speak, you may reduce requirements by one notch since the first player shows weakness by checking.  Lastly, if you are up against someone who bluffs more than he should, you may do better by checking even if you have a hand you could bet with and the same is true if your opponent raised before the draw.

Table 7: Betting against Multiple Opponents
No. Of Players	Minimum Betting Hand
3	AA22, KK22, or QQ22

Table 7 shows you what to bet on after the draw when you are facing two other players, each of whom you figure drew three cards to a pair. If you draw three cards and are first to act with two other players ahead of you who each drew three cards, bet if you make at least AA22 or better. If you are second to act, bet KK22 or better. If you are third to act, bet QQ22 or better.

Calling

When you do not know how your opponent plays, follow Table 8. For someone who bluffs too much, call with any hand that can beat their bluff. For instance, if a player draws three cards to a pair, he should bluff 1-in-every-6 times in this situation. If you catch someone bluffing ¼ or ½ the time in this situation, then they are bluffing too much and you must call with less than Table 8 indicates. 

Raising
Approximate minimum raising hands are already provided in Winning Poker Systems on page 73and do not require adjustment for Internet play.

Playing Heads-up
Included here is a special section for playing heads-up draw.

 

General Strategy
When you are in the small blind, you should call with an Ace high or better and raise with at least 22. If you are in the big blind and the small blind just calls, raise him with a pair of twos or better.

Using Table 9
Of course, part of the time you are going to get raised. In that case, one way to increase your chances of winning is to monitor how often he raises. You can track this during play with a pen and paper by noting how many times he raises relative to the total number of hands played. Look at the `Fraction’ column in Table 9 – if he raises once every two rounds on average (1 in 2), then he probably has at least 22, so you can call with 77a from the small blind and 66 from the big blind. You can raise him with TT or better. Once you know how he plays, try to see his worst starting hand when he raises and make a note of it. Once you’ve got his worst likely raising hand, it is very easy to call correctly: simply note his hand in the left column and call and raise according to the right columns! In the final round, you should bet according to Table 6 and call according to Table 8.