Basic Play and Strategy

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Admin Number of posts : 1856Location : Canada

Objective: To have 5 lowest unsuited, unpaired, non running cards at the end of the draw(s)

Basic Play: lowball is played exactly the same way as draw poker. It uses the same button, big/small blind betting system as hold'em. Blinds are posted. Each player is dealt five cards and a round of betting ensues, starting with the player after the big blind, going clockwise. After the round of betting player's choose which cards to redraw, starting with the small blind, going clockwise. Another round of betting ensues. If there is more than one draw the remaining players go through the same steps again. At the end of all drawing and betting rounds cards are turned over, and best hand wins.

Strategy: Deuce-to-seven low is often called Kansas City lowball or just "low poker". It is almost the direct opposite of standard poker: high hand loses. It is not as commonly used as the ace-to-five low method.

As in all lowball games, pairs and trips are bad: that is, any hand with no pair defeats any hand with a pair; one pair hands defeat two pair or trips, etc. No-pair hands are compared starting with the highest ranking card, just as in high poker, except that the high hand loses. In deuce-to-seven low, straights and flushes count for high (and are therefore bad). Aces are always high (and therefore bad).

For example, 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 still. The 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 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.

The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 (hence the name deuce-to-seven low), 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.

When speaking, low hands are referred to by their highest ranking card or cards. Any nine-high hand can be called "a nine", and is defeated by any "eight". 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 8-7-5-4-2.

You want to start with a good drawing hand, so a good strategy is to not even draw without 3 cards lower than 8 or better. It's also not a good idea to bet until you have a low hand you're comfortable with, since if you are still drawing you may be drawing to a pair or a high hand. You also wouldn't want to call against someone who isn't drawing if you still are.

Number of posts : 11Location : ireland

thank you very much admin for posting this very detailed article on how to play 2-7 lowball which is a game i have wanted to learn how to play for awhile now cheers

when the poker cards are going against you it seems like a good game to switch to.