Unlike in Texas Hold'em, there are no community cards in Five Card Stud. Players are solely responsible for making the best possible hand using the cards they have been dealt. If a player decides to fold at any point during the game, they forfeit any money they have already put in the pot.

Five-card draw (also known as Cantrell draw) is a poker variant that is considered the simplest variant of poker, and is the basis for video poker. As a result, it is often the first variant learned by new players. It is commonly played in home games but rarely played in casino and tournament play.