Gardena Jackpots Draw Poker Rules

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A five card draw poker game with a wildcard.

Each player is dealt 5 cards, face down. After the 1st round of betting, all players have the opportunity to discard any or all of their cards, which are then replaced with new cards dealt from the deck. There is then a 2nd round of betting. The player with the highest hand who remains at the end of betting wins the pot. Gardena Jackpots is played with a joker in the deck, which can be used as an ace or to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush.

The Deal After posting an ante, each player is dealt 5 cards face down. This is their starting hand. The first round of betting begins with the player to the dealer’s left, but only a player with a pair of jacks or better can open the betting. Once betting has opened, anyone can raise or call where appropriate.

Then standard betting procedure follows until everyone has either bet the same amount or has folded. If no player opens betting, the hand is over, but the antes remain in the pot and a new deal begins with each player posting a new ante.

The Draw The draw is where players exchange some or all of their cards for new cards, in the hope it will improve their hand. If, for example, you have two pairs – 7 ♠ 7♥ 2♥ 2♣ 3♠, you would discard the 3♠ and receive another card face down from the dealer. If you are lucky, you will get a 7 or a 2 and make a full house. If you had four diamonds (♦) and a spade (♠), you might exchange the spade and hope for another diamond to complete a flush.

Once the draw is complete, another round of betting begins, this time according to the new hands the players have acquired through the draw. Players still need to have a pair of jacks or better to open betting, but once betting has opened, everyone can bet. Once betting has completed, the player still in with the highest hand wins the pot.

The player who opened the betting may keep his discarded cards near him to prove that he had a sufficient opening poker hand. For example, a player with K♥, J♥, 9♥, 7♥ and J♣ has a pair of jacks and may open. But they may want to discard the J♣ to attempt to make a flush.

Variations

Progressive Starting Hands - When nobody can open betting, the opening hand qualification increases when the players re-ante. The qualifier is raised to a pair of queens. If nobody opens betting again, the qualifier changes to a pair of kings, and then if again nobody opens, increase to a pair of aces, where it stays until somebody can open a hand.