"The commonest mistake in history is underestimating your opponent;
it happens at the poker table all the time."
- David Shoup, U.S. Marine Corps General

You bought cards and chips (or betting tokens of some kind), learned the suits, the language, the rules, hand rankings, strategy and how to shuffle (hopefully), so now it's time to play. There are so many poker variants to choose from, but beginners should start out slow with the simplest (and oldest) game of poker. We're going to apply everything you've been introduced to so far, and once you learn the easiest poker game, you'll be prepared to move on to more challenging variations.

5 Card Draw is the original game of poker, and the easiest to play. With Draw poker, players are dealt a complete hand that only they can see and have the option to improve it by replacing cards. Players ante up, five cards are dealt face down one at a time, there are two rounds of betting and a showdown. It's elegantly simple.

So, here's our learning scenario. To make it easy, we'll be playing with 3 other players. Every poker game has its own "house" rules and pot limits - card rooms, home games and casinos all set limits. Here are ours: Antes are $1 and we'll limit betting at $2-$10, with a maximum of 3 raises. We are Player A and the dealer.

All players put $1 in the pot as an ante bet. Pot total: $4

Player A/Dealer deals one card at a time, face down, starting on the dealer's left and moves clockwise to Player B, C, D and A until all players have 5 cards.

Betting starts with the player to the dealer's left, Player B. They have the option to check or make a wager. If they decide to check (not to bet), each player after (C, D, A) has the option to check as well, as long as no bets come before them. If Player B decides to bet, players C, D and A must match (or raise) that bet, or fold their cards. So let's say Player B checks. In our scenario, all players stay in the hand to "draw" for better cards later after the first round of betting to, hopefully, make a hand that pays them off when the game ends.

Player B: checks

Player C: bets $2

Player D: calls (matches) $2 bet from Player C

Player A (us): calls $2 bet from Player C

Player B: calls $2 bet from Player C

Pot total: now $12

When the last player acts - checks, calls a bet, calls a raise, calls a raise and re-raise, or folds - the betting round is finished.

Starting with the player on the left (B), Player A/Dealer moves around the table clockwise asking players how many new cards they would like to "draw" (exchange).

A common house rule and in many social games, a player with an Ace can receive 4 new cards if they keep the Ace. Generally, no player can replace all 5 cards (which avoids depleting the deck) and most casinos don't allow a draw of five consecutive cards. However, if a casino does allow it, the procedure calls for that player to receive 4 cards when it is their turn, the rest of the players receive their draws and the dealer returns to that player to deal their fifth replacement card. If no other players draw cards after the player who wants 5, 4 are dealt, one card is burned (burn cards are set aside face down away from players) and then the final card is dealt.

Another common house rule is that the last card in the deck is never used as a replacement (in case a player saw it during the deal). If the deck is depleted during the draw, players will randomly receive cards from the other players' discarded cards. The dealer deals the last of the cards he is able to give, shuffles up the deck's bottom card, burn card(s) and other players' cards (minus the discards from the player(s) still drawing), and deals the remaining replacement cards to the last player(s).

Once all players have had a chance to draw new cards and analyze their hands, Player B starts the new round of betting. Again, Player B can check or bet. Remember, if they check, Player C has the option to check as well. If Player B bets, Player C can call, raise or fold. If Player C raises, Player D can call, re-raise or fold.

Player B: bets $2

Player C: folds

Player D: calls $2, raises $2

Player A (us): calls $4

Player B: calls $2 raise

Pot total: now $24

Players reveal their hands face up on the table. The highest ranked hand wins and takes the $24 pot.

Easy, right?