Introduction

Deuce to seven triple draw, commonly known as 2-7 triple draw, is a popular lowball draw poker variant in which the player with the lowest hand wins. Lowball is also known as deuce to seven. 2-7 triple draw has recently become a popular alternative to Texas hold'em in some areas.

How to Play 2-7 Triple Draw

The Blinds

Like Texas Holdem and Omaha, blinds are forced bets in draw poker games. The small blind is the player to the left of the dealer; they pay the smaller of the forced bets. The large blind is the player to the left of the small blind. The big blind pays for larger forced bet. Small blinds are usually half the size of large blinds. Both bets, however, are less than a minimum bet. The game may also be played with an ante, which is a small, forced stake that each active player must put.

Dealing and Betting

After the blinds are posted, the dealer will deal five cards to each player, one at a time, beginning with the player with the small blind.

Following the dealing of cards to all players, the first betting round starts with the player to the left of the big blind (UTG).

In fixed increments, players may fold, call, or raise. The game then continues around the table until all bets are finalized.

The First Drawing Round

After the first betting round, the first active player to the left of the dealer button has the option to draw cards to improve their hand. The player may also "stand pat" and retain his or her hand as is. Each player is given the same number of chances to draw cards in turn.

This is followed by another round of betting, which starts with the first remaining active player to the left of the button (exactly as in Holdem). This is also for the subsequent betting rounds.

The Second Drawing Round

Following the first drawing round, there is another round of betting, beginning with the first player to the left of the dealer button. After all bets have been called, players may choose to draw again or stand pat.

The Final Drawing Round

In a fixed-limit game, the minimum bet doubles after the second drawing round. The remaining players draw a third time, followed by a final round of betting. The remaining players will then engage in a showdown.

If there aren't enough cards in the deck for all players to get new ones at any time during the drawing round, the dealer will pick cards from the muck, re-shuffle them, and use these discards to finish the drawing round.

The Showdown

They will proceed to the showdown if there are still two or more active players in the hand following the last betting round.

The winner will be determined using the 2-7 Triple Draw hand rankings, and players who have the same winning hand will split the pot equally.

2-7 Triple Draw Hand Rankings

Straights and flushes count against you since you're trying to make the lowest possible hand.

In 2-7 poker, aces count as high, hence they are bad cards.

When you count backwards from the highest card rather than up from the lowest, it's much easier to figure out your hand.

Below are the top 10 best 2-7 Triple Draw hands: