2-7 Triple Draw Starting Hands
2-7 Triple Draw Starting Hands
In 2-7 Triple Draw, starting hands are the initial five-card hands dealt, with playable hands typically consisting of low unpaired cards without straight or flush draws, aiming to achieve the worst possible low hand (e.g., 7-5-4-3-2).
Overview
2-7 Triple Draw is a lowball variant where the goal is to make the lowest possible five-card hand, with Aces low and straights and flushes counting against you (making the hand high). Each player is dealt five cards, followed by three drawing rounds where players can discard and receive new cards. Starting hand selection is critical because it sets the potential for improvement and determines strategy for the draws.
Hand Rankings
In 2-7, the best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 (the 'wheel'), followed by 7-5-4-3-A, 7-5-4-2-A, etc. The lower the high card, the better. Straights (e.g., 6-5-4-3-2) are high hands, as are flushes (all same suit). Pairs also hurt because they increase the hand's rank. A 'smooth' hand has a low high card and no straight or flush draws, while a 'rough' hand has a higher high card or draws.
Categories of Starting Hands
Premium Hands
These are already low and often the nuts or close to it: e.g., 7-5-4-3-2, 7-5-4-3-A, 7-5-4-2-A. They require no improvement but may need to avoid drawing to a straight or flush. These should be played aggressively.
Strong Draws
Hands with four low cards and one high card, such as 2-3-4-5-K or 2-3-4-7-Q. With three draws, you can discard the high card and hope to catch a low card (2-7) without making a straight or flush. These are very playable, especially in position.
Marginal Hands
Hands with a pair or suited cards may be playable in certain situations. For example, a low pair like 2-2-3-4-5 can draw for a low, but the pair reduces outs. Suited hands risk flushes, so they require caution. Position and opponent tendencies matter.
Hands to Avoid
Avoid starting hands with straight draws (e.g., 2-3-4-5-6), flush draws (three or more of the same suit), or multiple high cards (>7). Also avoid hands with gaps that are hard to fill, like 2-3-6-7-8, where a 4 or 5 would make a straight.
Strategic Considerations
Starting hand selection must account for position: early position requires stronger hands, while late position allows slight loosening. Table image and opponent folding frequency also matter. In general, aim for the nuts or smooth draws, as drawing to rough hands can lead to losing to a better low. Aggressive play with premium hands forces opponents to draw thin. Adjust based on number of opponents: multiway pots require stronger hands, while heads-up allows more speculative plays.
Conclusion
Understanding starting hands in 2-7 Triple Draw is essential for profitability. Focus on low unpaired cards without straight or flush potential, and leverage the three draws to improve. Mastery of hand selection combined with sound drawing strategy leads to success in this complex lowball variant.