Ace to Five

Ace to Five (Lowball)

Ace to Five is the most common lowball hand ranking system used in poker, particularly in games such as A-5 Lowball (a draw game) and in the low hand evaluation of split-pot games like Omaha Hi-Lo and Razz. In this system, aces are always counted as the lowest card, and straights and flushes do not count against the hand for low — meaning that a hand like A-2-3-4-5 (a "wheel" or "bicycle") is the best possible low hand, even though it is also a straight in high poker.

How the Ranking Works

Cards are ranked from lowest to highest: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K. To compare two low hands, you look at the highest card in each hand; the hand with the lower high card wins. If the high cards are the same, you move to the next highest card, and so on. For example:

• A-2-3-4-5 (the wheel) beats A-2-3-4-6 because 5 is lower than 6.
• A-2-3-4-6 beats A-2-3-4-7, and so on.
• A-2-3-5-6 beats 2-3-4-5-6? Actually, compare highest: the first hand's highest is 6, second hand's highest is also 6; next highest: first hand has 5, second has 5; next: first has 3, second has 4? Wait, correct comparison: For A-2-3-5-6 (highest 6, next 5, next 3, next 2, next A) vs 2-3-4-5-6 (6,5,4,3,2). The first hand has a 3 as the third card, the second has a 4 as the third card, so A-2-3-5-6 beats 2-3-4-5-6 because 3 < 4. But note that the second hand is a straight in high poker, but in A-5 lowball, straights don't hurt; it's still a low hand.

Common Games Using Ace to Five

• A-5 Lowball (aka California Lowball): A draw poker variant where players aim to make the worst high hand (i.e., best low hand). Aces are low, and straights/flushes are ignored. The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A (wheel).
• Omaha Hi-Lo: The low hand is evaluated using the Ace to Five system, but only eight-high or lower qualifies (i.e., the highest card must be 8 or lower). Straights and flushes do not disqualify a low hand.
• Razz: A seven-card stud variant where the best low hand using Ace to Five wins. In Razz, straights and flushes also do not hurt the hand, so A-2-3-4-5 is the best possible hand.

Comparison with Deuce to Seven

Deuce to Seven (2-7) is another lowball system where aces are high, straights and flushes count against the hand (they make it worse), so the best hand is 2-3-4-5-7 (not a straight). In contrast, Ace to Five encourages the wheel and ignores straight/flush penalties. Most modern lowball games use Ace to Five due to its simplicity and consistency with split-pot games.

Strategy Notes

In games using Ace to Five, the best starting hands are those containing aces and low cards, avoiding pairs and high cards. For example, in A-5 Lowball draw, a hand like A-2-3-4-X is excellent because you can draw to a wheel. However, if you have a pair, your hand becomes much weaker because pairs are bad (they increase the hand value).

Key Takeaway

Ace to Five is fundamental to understanding many poker variants. It flips the traditional high-hand hierarchy, making the lowest hand the winner. This system is widely used due to its intuitive ranking and compatibility with hi-lo split games.