8 Game Strategy Part 1 – 2-7 Lowball

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This week, we will begin a series on 8-game play. The 8-game mix is increasingly becoming the true test of poker over even HORSE. It has officially become the game of choice for the $50,000 Event at the World Series of Poker. Over the next few weeks, we will give you some basic tips for each game in the 8-game mix. This week, we will begin with Triple Draw 2-7 lowball.

Two or One Card Draws

While you will see many players taking part in nearly every hand before the first draw, you are going to want to stick with hands that require just one or two cards to complete the hand.

Three and four card sevens and eights are what you are going to be looking for and in the case of a four-card seven or eight, you will likely want to throw in a raise. When drawing, you want to be careful drawing to an open-ended hand like 7-6-5-4 as you lose eight outs immediately due to straights.

Push Made Hands

When you make your hands in this game prior to the third draw, you need to bet them. If you are dealt a pat hand, you need to become aggressive immediately. This way, you’ll often push out weaker draws of three cards or more.

The only exception would be if you draw to the wheel (7-5-4-3-2) at which case you want them to catch up or bluff into you. Of course, if you have an opponent that’s prone to call you regardless, you can still bet a wheel.

One huge mistake that some players make is that they choose not to push a somewhat weaker made hand like a made nine or ten because they are afraid of losing bets when someone draws out on them. Playing this timidly will allow players to suck out a higher percentage of the time than normal.

Snowing

There are times where you will want to bluff, especially after the final draw. This is referred to as snowing in Triple Draw. For example, if you drew one card the entire way and missed your draw, you may decide to snow into someone that drew two cards. You’re likely on a big draw and unless they have pot odds, they may get out of your way.

Adversely, you may want to call down with weaker hands when you think that the player could be snowing. If a player is prone to bet their hands regardless of holdings, then you’ll want to consider calling a potential snow.

Call Bets At the End with Made Hands

Quite often you will see a player drawing one card lead out after that draw trying to represent a made hand. Since the final draw is a great bluffing opportunity, do not be afraid to look up another player with a weaker hand like a made nine or even a made ten.

An aggressive player or one in position may also bet a weaker hand like jack or even a king. You will find that a solid percentage of the time the player that led out after drawing one did so with a jack or worse in his hand, or on a pure bluff.

A Solid Approach Works Well

2-7 Triple Draw is one game of the 8-Game mix where you can do well playing tight the majority of the time. That’s because there will be many players coming in with weaker hands and continuing when they shouldn’t. Playing snugly will give you a good shot at picking up some chips during a lowball round.

Next week, we will take a brief look at the next game in the Eight Game rotation, Limit Hold’em.