Lowball games

Introduction

While most poker games require you to show the best possible hand to win the pot at showdown, a few of them will necessitate you to show… the worst hand! Even better, some games will split the pot between the best hand and the worst hand. However, some conditions have to be fulfilled.

What's a low hand ?

As a general rule, low hands are ranked by sorting the cards from the highest to the lowest. They are compared to each other by looking at the highest card. For example, 8-5-4-2-A is a worse low than 7-6-5-3-2. If two players have an identical highest card, the second card is used to compare, and so on.

Different types of low hands

They are two types of low hands used in Lowball games: “Ace to Five” low hands, and “Deuce to Seven” low hands.

Ace to Five

In « Ace to Five » lowball games, straight and flushes doesn’t play against you (if you’re holding a flush, it doesn’t make your hand “high”), and the Ace is only used as a low card. Therefore, the best possible low hand is 5-4-3-2-A.

Here is the ranking order for the ten best low hands in Ace to Five:

  1. 5-4-3-2-A
  2. 6-4-3-2-A
  3. 6-5-3-2-A
  4. 6-5-4-2-A
  5. 6-5-4-3-A
  6. 6-5-4-3-2
  7. 7-4-3-2-A
  8. 7-5-3-2-A
  9. 7-5-4-2-A
  10. 7-5-4-3-A

The « Ace to Five » ranking is used in Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud Hi-Lo and Razz.

Deuce to Seven

In « Deuce to Seven », straights and flushes matter : if you make such hands, your low hand will be worthless. Also, the Ace is only used as the highest card. Therefore, the best possible low hand is 7-5-4-3-2.

Here is the ranking order for the ten best low hands in Deuce to Seven:

  1. 7-5-4-3-2
  2. 7-6-4-3-2
  3. 7-6-5-3-2
  4. 7-6-5-4-2
  5. 8-5-4-3-2
  6. 8-6-4-3-2
  7. 8-6-5-3-2
  8. 8-6-5-4-2
  9. 8-7-4-3-2
  10. 8-7-5-3-2

The « Deuce to Seven » system is primarily used in Triple Draw Deuce to Seven, a five card dram variation.

Beware

Most Hi-Lo will have constraints on eligible low hands: it can’t be higher than eight. A hand like 9-5-4-3-2 isn’t an eligible low hand in those games. In some boards, no low hand will be possible (like K-Q-J-5-7, for example). In that case, the best “high” hand takes the pot.