Stupid lowball question

[TxShadow]

I saw someone explain how to quickly determine a winning hand in a lowball game (I've never really played a lowball game myself). Is it that you start with the highest value card and look at the cards like they are one number? Or do you start with the lowest?

Example:

hand #1 - 2 3 4 5 6 would be 65,432
hand #2 - A 3 4 5 7 would be 75,431

In that example, 2 3 4 5 6 would be the winning (lowest) hand. I would assume this is correct even though hand #2 contained a lower card than hand #1 (the A).

(Let's say you're playing draw lowball for the sake of my question)

[Sean_in_NJ]

Yes, the 6-low is better than the 7-low. The smallest high card in the hand dictates the rank.

[cayouche]

That confused me too at first. You start from the highest card.

To see which hand would win, it depends on the variation you play.

- "Deuce to Seven", the lowest possible hand is 23457, since 23456 is considered as a straight. (In your exemple, Hand #2 would win)

- "Ace to 5", A2345 is the lowest hand, the straights/flushes don't play against you in this variation. (In your exemple, Hand #1 would win)

[galderon]

I think A-5 low is more common than 2-7, especially with hi-low games, but I could be wrong.

Yeah, lowball is ranked like normal poker, then reversed. One way to remember this is that sometimes hands are only referred to by their highest card:

So in your example, hand #1 is "a six" and hand #2 is "a seven". That's why lots of hi-low games say "eights-or-better" (and sometimes "nines-or-better"). Meaning that the worst qualifying low hand is "an eight" or "a nine", respectively.

So the only time you really have to look any further than the first card is when two people have the same "hand" (two or more people with "a seven", for example).

[flafishy]

I think A-5 low is more common than 2-7, especially with hi-low games, but I could be wrong.

Actually, 2-7 is much more popular in draw games (Triple Draw, Kansas City Lowball, etc.). But pretty much every stud/flop game I've come across, the A-5 variation is standard (although it's usually referred to as 8 or better; ace is low and flushes and straights don't count).

[galderon]

Actually, 2-7 is much more popular in draw games (Triple Draw, Kansas City Lowball, etc.).

Thanks for the correction. I guess since I play stud/flop games almost exclusively, that makes sense. 8)

[snoogins47]

It's a shame too: single draw A-5 is probably one of my favorite poker games out there. I almost played it once, too.