Lowball or low poker is a variant of poker in which the normal ranking of hands is
inverted. Several variations 7️⃣ of lowball poker exist, differing in whether aces are
treated as high cards or low cards, and whether straights and 7️⃣ flushes are
used.
Low-poker ranking [ edit ]
Lowball inverts the normal ranking of poker hands.
There are three methods of ranking 7️⃣ low hands, called ace-to-five low, deuce-to-seven
low, and ace-to-six low. The 'ace-to-five' method is most common. A sub-variant within
this 7️⃣ category is 'high-low poker', in which the highest and lowest hands split the pot,
with the highest hand taking any 7️⃣ odd chips if the pot does not divide equally.
Sometimes straights and/or flushes count in determining which hand is highest 7️⃣ but not
in determining which hand is lowest, being reckoned as a no-pair hand in the latter
instance, so that 7️⃣ a player with such a holding can win both ways and thus take the
entire pot.
Lowball variants [ edit ]
The 7️⃣ most popular forms of lowball are ace-to-five
lowball (also known as California lowball), and deuce-to-seven lowball (also known as
Kansas 7️⃣ City lowball). Ace-to-five lowball gets its name because the best hand at that
form is 5-4-3-2-A. In ace-to-five lowball straights 7️⃣ and flushes do not prevent a hand
from being low. You win by simply having the five lowest cards. Deuce-to 7️⃣ seven lowball
gets its name because the best hand at that form is 7-5-4-3-2 (not of the same
suit).[1]
Ace-to-five low 7️⃣ is the most common method for evaluating low hands in poker,
nearly universal in U.S. casinos, especially in high-low split 7️⃣ games.
As in all low
hand games, pairs count against the player. That is, any hand with no pair defeats any
7️⃣ hand with a pair; one pair hands defeat two pair or three of a kind, etc. No-pair hands
are compared 7️⃣ starting with the highest-ranking card, just as in high poker, except that
the high hand loses. In ace-to-five low, straights 7️⃣ and flushes are ignored, and aces
play as the lowest card.
For example, the hand 8-5-4-3-2 defeats 9-7-6-4-3, because
eight-high is 7️⃣ lower than nine-high. The hand 7-6-5-4-3 defeats both, because seven-high
is lower still, even though it would be a straight 7️⃣ if played for high. Aces are low, so
8-5-4-3-A defeats 8-5-4-3-2. Also, A-A-9-5-3 (a pair of aces) defeats 2-2-5-4-3 (a 7️⃣ pair
of deuces), but both of those would lose to any no-pair hand such as K-J-8-6-4. In the
rare event 7️⃣ that hands with pairs tie, kickers are used just as in high poker (but
reversed): 3-3-6-4-2 defeats 3-3-6-5-A.
This is called 7️⃣ ace-to-five low because the
lowest (and therefore best) possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, called a "wheel". The next best
possible hand 7️⃣ is 6-4-3-2-A, followed by 6-5-3-2-A, 6-5-4-2-A, 6-5-4-3-A, 6-5-4-3-2,
7-4-3-2-A, 7-5-3-2-A, etc.
When speaking, low hands are referred to by their
highest-ranking 7️⃣ card or cards. Any nine-high hand can be called "a nine", and is
defeated by any "eight". Two cards are 7️⃣ frequently used: the hand 8-6-5-4-2 can be
called "an eight-six" and will defeat "an eight-seven" such as 8-7-5-4-A.
Another
common notation 7️⃣ is calling a particular low hand "smooth" or "rough". A smooth low hand
is one where the remaining cards after 7️⃣ the highest card are themselves very low; a
rough low hand is one where the remaining cards are high. For 7️⃣ instance, 8-7-6-3-A would
be referred to as a "rough eight", but 8-4-3-2-A would be referred to as a "smooth
eight". 7️⃣ Some players refer to a hand containing a 4-3-2-A (in ace-to-five low or
ace-to-six low) or a 5-4-3-2 (in deuce-to-seven 7️⃣ low) as a "nut" (thus, in ace-to-five
or ace-to-six, a 7-4-3-2-A would be called a "seven nut").
High-low split games with
7️⃣ ace-to-five low are usually played cards speak, that is, without a declaration.
Frequently a qualifier is required for low (typically 7️⃣ 8-high or 9-high). Some hands
(particularly small straights and flushes) may be both the low hand and the high hand,
7️⃣ and are particularly powerful (or particularly dangerous if they are mediocre both
ways). Winning both halves of the pot in 7️⃣ a split-pot game is called "scooping" or
"hogging" the pot. The perfect hand in such a game is called a 7️⃣ "steel wheel", 5-4-3-2-A
of one suit, which plays both as perfect low and a straight flush high. Note that it 7️⃣ is
possible—though unlikely—to have this hand and still lose money. If the pot has three
players, and one other player 7️⃣ has a mixed-suit wheel, and a third has better straight
flush, the higher straight flush wins the high half of 7️⃣ the pot, and the two wheels
split the low half, hence the steel wheel wins only a quarter of a 7️⃣ three-way
pot.
Ace-to-five lowball, a five-card draw variant, is often played with a joker added
to the deck. The joker plays 7️⃣ as the lowest card not already present in the hand (in
other words, it is a wild card): 7-5-4-Joker-A, for 7️⃣ example, the joker plays as a 2.
This can cause some interesting effects for high-low split games. Let's say that 7️⃣ Alice
has 6-5-4-3-2 (called a "straight six")--a reasonably good hand for both high and low.
Burt has Joker-6-5-4-3. By applying 7️⃣ the rule for wild cards in straights, Burt's joker
plays as a 7 for high, giving him a seven-high straight 7️⃣ to defeat Alice's six-high
straight. For low, the joker plays as an ace—the lowest card not in Burt's hand—and his
7️⃣ hand also defeats Alice for low, because his low hand is 6-5-4-3-A, lower than her
straight six by one notch. 7️⃣ Jokers are very powerful in high-low split games.
Wheel [
edit ]
A wheel or bicycle is the poker hand 5-4-3-2-A, regardless 7️⃣ of suit, which is a
five-high straight, the lowest-ranking of the straights.
In ace-to-five low poker,
where aces are allowed to 7️⃣ play as low and straights and flushes do not count against a
hand's "low" status, this is the best possible 7️⃣ hand. In high/low split games, it is
both the best possible low hand and a competitive high hand. The best 7️⃣ deuce-to-seven
low hand, 7-5-4-3-2, is also sometimes called "the wheel".
Ace-to-six low is not as
commonly used as the ace-to-five low 7️⃣ method, but it is common among home games in the
eastern region of the United States, some parts of the 7️⃣ mid-west, and also common in the
United Kingdom (it is the traditional ranking of London lowball, a stud poker
variant).
As 7️⃣ in all lowball games, pairs and trips are bad: that is, any hand with no
pair defeats any hand with 7️⃣ a pair; one pair hands defeat two pair or trips, etc.
No-pair hands are compared starting with the highest-ranking card, 7️⃣ just as in high
poker, except that the high hand loses. In ace-to-six low, straights and flushes are
accounted for 7️⃣ (as compared to Ace-to-five) and count as high (and are therefore bad),
and aces play as the lowest card.
For example, 7️⃣ the hand 8-5-4-3-2 defeats 9-7-6-4-3,
because eight-high is lower than nine-high. The hand 7-6-5-4-2 defeats both, because
seven-high is lower 7️⃣ still. The hand 7-6-5-4-3 would lose, because it is a straight.
Aces are low, so 8-5-4-3-A defeats 8-5-4-3-2. Also, A-A-9-5-3 7️⃣ (a pair of aces) defeats
2-2-5-4-3 (a pair of deuces), but both of those would lose to any no-pair hand 7️⃣ such as
K-J-8-6-4. In the rare event that hands with pairs tie, kickers are used just as in
high poker 7️⃣ (but reversed): 3-3-6-4-2 defeats 3-3-6-5-A.
It is called ace-to-six low
because the best possible hand is 6-4-3-2-A (also known as a 7️⃣ Chicago Wheel or a 64),
followed by 6-5-3-2-A, 6-5-4-2-A, 6-5-4-3-A, 7-4-3-2-A, 7-5-3-2-A, etc.
When speaking,
low hands are referred to by 7️⃣ their highest-ranking card or cards. Any nine-high hand
can be called "a nine", and is defeated by any "eight". Two 7️⃣ cards are frequently used:
the hand 8-6-5-4-2 can be called "an eight-six" and will defeat "an eight-seven" such
as 8-7-5-4-A.
A 7️⃣ wild card plays as whatever rank would make the lowest hand. Thus, in
6-5-Joker-2-A, the joker plays as a 3, 7️⃣ while in Joker-5-4-3-2 it would play as a 7 (an
ace or six would make a straight).
High-low split games with 7️⃣ ace-to-six low are usually
played with a declaration.
Deuce-to-seven low is often called Kansas City lowball (the
no-limit single-draw variation) or 7️⃣ just "low poker". It is almost the direct opposite
of standard poker: high hand loses. It is not as commonly 7️⃣ used as the ace-to-five low
method.
As in all lowball games, pairs and trips are bad: that is, any hand with 7️⃣ no
pair defeats any hand with a pair; one pair hands defeat two pair or trips, etc.
No-pair hands are 7️⃣ compared starting with the highest-ranking card, just as in high
poker, except that the high hand loses. In deuce-to-seven low, 7️⃣ straights and flushes
count as high (and are therefore bad). Aces are always high (and therefore bad).
For
example, the hand 7️⃣ 8-5-4-3-2 defeats 9-7-6-4-3, because eight-high is lower than
nine-high. The hand 7-6-5-4-2 defeats both, because seven-high is lower still. The 7️⃣ hand
7-6-5-4-3 would lose, because it is a straight. Aces are high, so Q-8-5-4-3 defeats
A-8-5-4-3. In the rare event 7️⃣ that hands with pairs tie, kickers are used just as in
high poker (but reversed): 3-3-6-4-2 defeats 3-3-6-5-2.
Since the ace 7️⃣ always plays
high, A-5-4-3-2 (also called the Nut Ace) is not considered a straight; is simply
ace-high no pair (it 7️⃣ would therefore lose to any king-high, but would defeat
A-6-4-3-2).
The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 (hence the name deuce-to-seven low),
7️⃣ followed by 7-6-4-3-2, 7-6-5-3-2, 7-6-5-4-2, 8-5-4-3-2, 8-6-4-3-2, etc. Hands are
sometimes referred to by their absolute rank, e.g. 7-5-4-3-2 (#1, 7️⃣ said 'number one',
see table).
Hand Name (#) Other Name 7-5-4-3-2 #1 Seven perfect, The nuts, Number one,
The wheel 7-6-4-3-2 7️⃣ #2 7-6-5-3-2 #3 7-6-5-4-2 #4 8-5-4-3-2 #5 Nut Eight, Eight perfect
8-6-4-3-2 #6 8-6-5-3-2 #7 8-6-5-4-2 #8 8-6-5-4-3 #9 Rough 7️⃣ eighty-six 8-7-4-3-2 #10
Eighty-seven smooth 8-7-5-3-2 #11 8-7-5-4-2 #12 Average eight 8-7-5-4-3 #13 8-7-6-3-2
#14 8-7-6-4-2 #15 8-7-6-4-3 #16 8-7-6-5-2 7️⃣ #17 8-7-6-5-3 #18 Rough eighty-seven, The
Dave P. 9-5-4-3-2 #19 Nut Nine, Nine perfect
When speaking, low hands are referred to
7️⃣ by their highest-ranking card or cards. Any nine-high hand can be called "a nine", and
is defeated by any "eight". 7️⃣ Two cards are frequently used: the hand 8-6-5-4-2 can be
called "an eight-six" and will defeat "an eight-seven" such as 7️⃣ 8-7-5-4-2.
Another
common notation is calling a particular low hand "smooth" or "rough". A smooth low hand
is one where the 7️⃣ remaining cards after the highest card are themselves very low; a
rough low hand is one where the remaining cards 7️⃣ are high. For instance, 8-7-6-4-2 would
be referred to as a "rough eight", but 8-5-4-3-2 would be referred to as 7️⃣ a "smooth
eight".
Wild cards are rarely used in deuce-to-seven games, but if used they play as
whatever rank would make 7️⃣ the lowest hand. Thus, in 7-6-Joker-3-2, the joker plays as a
4, while in Joker-5-4-3-2 it would play as a 7️⃣ 7 (a six would make a straight).
High-low
split games with deuce-to-seven low are usually played with a declaration.
See also [
7️⃣ edit ]
