Five Card Draw, the video-poker machine in Games by Zaweba

Five Card Draw turns a corner of Games by Zaweba into a video-poker machine. It is jacks or better: you are dealt five cards, you hold the ones you like, you draw new cards for the rest, and you chase the hands on the pay table all the way up to the royal flush. It is a one-player game on the Cards shelf, and there is no real money anywhere near it, only credits on the screen.

It is a good game for a few minutes of quiet decision making. Each hand asks one question, which cards to keep, and the answer is rarely as obvious as it first looks.

Bet, deal, hold and draw

Start by betting between one and five credits. Then deal five cards. Look at them and click the ones you want to hold. When you are happy, draw: every card you did not hold is replaced with a new one. The final five cards are your hand.

A pair of jacks or better pays. So does anything stronger, and the pay table at the top of the screen shows every winning hand and what it pays. Keep an eye on it, because it is the whole game in one panel.

You keep playing until you decide to cash out or the credits run dry.

Doubling up

After a win you are offered a chance to double up. You pick a card, and if it beats the dealer's card, your win is doubled. If it does not, you lose it all. It is a pure gamble with the money you just won, so the choice is about your nerve rather than your skill. Some players never touch it. Others take it once after a small win for the thrill.

Mouse or number keys

The mouse does everything: click cards to hold them, and use the buttons to bet, deal and draw. The keyboard is quicker once you know it. Keys 1 to 5 hold the matching card, Enter deals and draws, and G doubles up. A few hands in, most people find their fingers resting on the number keys.

Holding the right cards

The heart of the game is deciding what to keep. A few sensible habits help. If you are dealt a paying hand, such as a pair of jacks or better, it is usually right to hold it rather than break it up hoping for something better. A low pair does not pay on its own, but holding it gives you chances of improving to something that does.

It is tempting to hold a high card just because it is high. Think about what the card can become. A single jack or better can turn into a paying pair, so it is worth more than a low card. Holding too many cards that do not work together leaves you with fewer fresh cards and fewer chances.

Use the pay table to guide you. It tells you exactly which hands are worth chasing and how much each pays, so you can judge whether a long shot is worth giving up a sure thing.

A game for short sessions

Five Card Draw in Games by Zaweba is quick to play and easy to stop. Each hand takes seconds, and Esc pauses at any point. F1 brings up the rules if you want to check what counts as a winning hand. Your best score is kept on the game's tile in the library, which turns cashing out into a small challenge: how many credits can you walk away with before you stop?

It makes a lively change from the patience games on the Cards shelf, and it pairs well with Twenty-One and Higher or Lower if you enjoy a game with a bit of risk in it.