How to Play 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball
Lowball poker is a popular form of poker in live and online poker rooms today. While there are several forms of lowball poker, the first that you should acquaint yourself with is 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.
It is a game that grew in popularity in the card rooms in California before Texas Hold’em was legalized, and now it has gained a rebirth in online card rooms. Today we will look at the basic rules of 2-7 Lowball.
What is 2-7 Lowball Poker
Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball is a Five Card Draw variant where the objective of the hand is to make the lowest five-card hand. Straights and flushes hurt your hand in this game and aces are always high. As a result, the lowest possible hand in the game is 2-3-4-5-7 unsuited. This game is customarily played in a limit format with six players at the table.
Standard Game Play
Before a hand is dealt, two players must post blinds. This is done the same way as in Texas Hold’em with a dealer button providing the dealer position and the two players to the left being the small and big blinds. The big blind is the equivalent of the small bet amount. In a $3-$6 2-7 Lowball game, the small bet amount is $3.
After blinds are posted, each player receives five cards and action proceed from the left of the big blind around the table. Betting and raising are done in the small bet amount and up to three raises may be made.
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After the first round of betting, each player may draw up to five cards. If a player does not want cards, they can rap pat. When the draw is completed the 2nd betting round occurs, again in the small bet amount. Once completed, a second draw occurs, followed by another betting round. The betting rounds after the 2nd and 3rd draws are both done in the big bet amount or $6 from our earlier example.
When the betting round after the 2nd draw is complete, the final draw occurs. One last round of betting takes place and then the players show their hand. The player with the lowest hand takes the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is split.
Irregularities and Deal Rules
When a player draws five cards, many casinos do not allow a player to receive all five cards at once. The player will be dealt four cards, and then the other players receive their cards. The player that drew five will then receive their last card.
Also, on occasion, the dealer will go through the entire deck. Since 30 cards are dealt to start with, multiple players drawing multiple cards can make the deck run out. When this occurs, the burn cards are then taken and shuffled. You will then use those cards to complete the hand.
If the final hand between two players is a pair, the lower pair wins. Remember that aces are high only. In a rare occurrence where two players may have a straight and or a flush, you will award the pot to the lower hand. For example, a jack-high straight would lose to an eight-high straight. A flush would lose to a straight.
As you can see, Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball is a very different game than your typical draw poker games and distinctly different than Texas Hold’em. In recent years, Triple Draw Lowball has become a staple of mixed games such as 8-Game or Dealer’s Choice. If you are looking for a new game to add to your poker rotation, or are just looking to expand your poker knowledge, definitely learn 2-7 Lowball.