[adam74]

Thanks for all the comments.

I think I'm still leaning towards 5-card draw, just so they can get the basic hand rankings down. Maybe we only play that for a short while, and then move on to holdem in the same evening. I was also wondering about 7-card stud - extra betting rounds to create more action/interest, and maybe slightly easier than holdem to pick out the best 5-card hand, since all 7 cards are the player's own cards. Any thoughts on that?

If we do play 5-card draw, which is a game I don't have very much experience of at all, is it better played with antes or 2 blinds? Using antes seems to be the traditional approach, but the internet sites I've seen all use blinds instead.