If a player picks one card then there is a possibility he has two pairs or he may be trying to draw a straight or flush. Players can opt not to draw any cards. This would usually mean that they have a good set of cards such as a full house, a flush or a straight. Alternatively he could be pretending.
If a player is pretending then he has two chances of poker bluffing: the wager and the draw. Some players pretend to the other players that they have a good set of cards either by not taking any more cards or by taking one to two cards or by standing pat and then all of a sudden they begin raising the wager in the second round
A good poker player should attempt to perceive what is in the opponents’ mind when he draws new cards. Did you get an idea of what’s going on in your opponents’ mind when he drew new cards? Does your opponent appear keen to place a bet in the next round?
A player could employ a different tactic in a five-card draw by keeping a ‘kicker’. The term kicker refers to a high card such as an ace when you already have a pair. This way even if your pair is a small one such as a pair of fives then you have a high card in anticipation of getting yet another pair which is higher to compliment your low pair.
When a player keeps kickers it confuses the other players. Let us say you pick up two new cards while you have a high card and a small pair then the other players might assume that you have three cards of one type. When the players have picked their cards make a mental note of how the opponents are placing their bets.
If the opponents are playing an aggressive poker game or if they raise the wager greatly the odds could be that they have a good set of cards (alternatively they could be pretending).