Poker Term

2-7 Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw is a lowball poker variant where players aim to make the lowest five-card hand (with Aces high, straights and flushes counting against the hand) and are allowed three drawing rounds to replace cards.

Overview

2-7 Triple Draw is a lowball poker variant, typically played as a fixed-limit game. Unlike most poker games where high hands win, the goal here is to make the lowest possible hand. The name "2-7" refers to the best possible hand: 2-3-4-5-7 (not suited, as flushes and straights are penalizing). "Triple Draw" indicates that players have three opportunities to discard and draw new cards to improve their hand.

Hand Rankings

Hands are ranked from highest (worst) to lowest (best) based on the lowest card values. Aces are considered high, so they are undesirable. Straights and flushes also make a hand worse (they count as high hands). The best hand is a "perfect" 2-3-4-5-7, with no flush or straight. Note that 2-3-4-5-6 would be a straight and thus a very poor hand. A pair is worse than any no-pair hand, so a hand like 2-2-3-4-5 is worse than 2-3-4-5-7.

Gameplay

Each player is dealt five cards. The game proceeds with a betting round, followed by a draw round where players may discard up to five cards and receive replacements from the deck. Then another betting round, another draw, betting, third draw, and final betting round. The best low hand at showdown wins the pot.

Strategy

Key concepts include:

  • Pat hand: A hand that is already strong enough to stand pat (not draw any cards). Typically, a hand like 2-3-4-5-7 is pat, but sometimes players stand pat with weaker hands to bluff.
  • Snowing: Bluffing by standing pat with a weak hand to represent a strong low, forcing opponents to fold.
  • Drawing to a perfect hand: If you have 2-3-4-5, you are drawing to a perfect 7 or a 6 (but 6 makes a straight, so you want a 7). Drawing to a 7 is the strongest draw.
  • Position: Being in late position is advantageous because you see how many cards opponents draw, giving insight into their hand strength.
  • Odds: Since flushes and straights are bad, you avoid drawing to those. Discard high cards and pairs, keep low cards that are not connected.

Common Variations

2-7 Triple Draw is often played in mixed games like the WSOP's "Dealer's Choice" events. It can also be played no-limit, but limit is more common due to the draw structure.

Related Terms

  • Lowball
  • Draw Poker
  • Pat Hand
  • Snowing
  • Wheel (in lowball, often refers to A-5 low, but not applicable here)