Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Draw

INTRODUCTION TO 2-7 TRIPLE DRAW. 2-7 Triple Draw or Deuce to Seven Triple Draw is a lowball variant of Draw poker.In lowball poker, the lowest hand wins. There are numerous ways to rank hands in lowball poker, to learn the details of deuce to seven rankings click here and find out more on poker hand rankings.

1. Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Draw Poker
2. Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Drawing
3. 2-7 Triple Draw Poker Rules
4. Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Draw Rules

• 2-7 Triple Draw is still a relatively new poker variant, making its WSOP debut in 2004. Prior to this its origins can be traced through similar low-ball draw games. In 2002 A-5 Triple Draw was offered at the WSOP, the same year that triple draw games were first offered online by Ultimate Bet.
• 2-7 Triple Draw – long an under-appreciated gem among poker variations – is finally seeing its moment in the sun. A lot of poker’s nosebleed action has found itself at the 2-7 Triple Draw tables lately and poker’s stars are diving in full force — be it Gus Hansen, Phil Galfond, Phil Ivey, Viktor Blom, Niklas Heinecker or Sebastian Ruthenberg.
• The standard poker hands of flush, straights, pairs and the like all apply in 2-7 Triple Draw. However, the aim is to avoid these hands rather than look for them! The very best possible hand in 2-7 is 7, 5, 4, 3, 2.
• If you'd like to learn the remaining rules of 2-7 Triple Draw, keep reading. 2-7 Triple Draw Rules. Since 2-7 Triple Draw starts out exactly the same as 2-7 Single Draw, we decided to condense this article so it wouldn't be a mile long. If you've already read all of the above steps, keep reading to find out the remaining rules of 2-7 Triple.

This five-card lowball variation of poker is surprisingly challenging and requires strong card reading ability and great fortitude, especially when played with a No-Limit structure.

It's also a ton of fun and you can see the joy in the faces of some of the most famous poker pros in the world when they're in the midst of an epic 2-7 Triple Draw battle.

The rules of 2-7 Triple Draw are a little bit tricky to get a handle on at first but that's mostly with regards to figuring out how 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball hands are properly ranked.

Once you're comfortable with the rankings and how to think about playing a lowball game, you're well on the way to becoming a lifelong 2-7 Triple Draw fan.

2-7 Triple Draw - Make the Lowest Possible Hand

If you've begun your poker-playing career by playing a standard 'high' poker variation it'll take a bit of adjustment to get used to playing lowball.

To start with your objective in every hand is to make the 'lowest' possible hand. Wrapping your brain around that can take some time. Holding face cards in your hand is bad. That might never seem right.

An holding an ace is your hand is even worse. In 2-7 Triple Draw, aces are always high. In some lowball variations an Ace can also be a low card but not in 2-7 Triple Draw.

If you ever forget which it is, use the name of the game itself as a guide. The name of the game is in fact the very object of the game - to get a low hand between 2 and 7.

To get a handle on the full 2-7 Triple Draw rules you can break it down into a few components:

• 2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Blinds
• 2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Deal
• 2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Betting
• 2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Draws
• 2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Showdown
• 2-7 Triple Draw Rules - Hand Rankings

2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Blinds

2-7 Triple Draw is typically played as a Limit game with a small and big blind; it's exactly the same as Limit Hold'em, really.

The players directly to the left of the dealer are the small and big blind, respectively. The big blind is typically twice the size of the small blind (eg $1/$2).

2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Deal

Unlike Holdem, in 2-7 Triple Draw each player is dealt five cards face down. The deal starts with the player to the left of the dealer and proceeds clockwise until each player has five cards.

Once each player has 5 cards the first betting round begins.

2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Betting

Play rotates clockwise starting with the player to the left of the big blind. Players may each, in turn, match the big blind (call), raise or fold. Once the action gets back to the big blind, he or she may check (if no one has raised the bet), call or raise. If there has been a raise the big blind cannot check and see another card.

A minimum raise is twice the size of the big blind or twice the size of any bet before it. Once all bets have been equalized players can now proceed to the first draw.

In No-Limit play a player can put all of his or her chips across the betting line at anytime. If any player has less than the total of another player's all in they can still bet all of their chips in the hand. It then becomes the 'effective stack' and the player with the biggest stack is only risking the amount of the lower stack (unless there is a bigger bet in play from another player).

2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Draws

Any players still left in the hand after the first betting round may then (in the same order as the betting) discard as many cards as they wish. That means a player can discard anywhere from 0 (stand pat) to all 5 cards.

Once each player's cards have been replaced there is another betting round. The second betting round proceeds as the first with the player closest to the left of the dealer still in the hand the first to begin the action.

Once all the bets have been matched again there is a second draw for any players left in the hand. Players can again discard however many cards they'd like.

Once all players have received their new cards another betting round ensues. This continues until each player who remains in the hand has had three total draws. Once the final round of betting is complete hands are 'shown down' and the lowest hand wins the pot.

2-7 Triple Draw Rules - The Showdown

Once all three draw rounds are complete and the betting is closed, players reveal their hands and the lowest possible hand wins the pot.

Hands are ranked according to the highest card in the hand down with the lowest 'high' card deciding the winner. The best possible 2-7 Lowball hand is:

• 7-5-4-3-2 (with all five cards of different suits)

The next best 2-7 hand is 7-6-4-3-2, and so on with the lowest high card always best. If the lowest high card is the same, then the next lowest high card is the deciding factor.

Aces are always high cards and straights, flushes and pairs count against you (ie diminish the value of your hand).

Only one hand will win the entire pot (ie it's not a split game with both a high and a low hand). If two players have the exact same hand they split the pot.

Once the player with the lowest hand wins the pot, play moves around to the next hand with the player to the left of the dealer now in the dealer position and the blinds moving one place to the left.

2-7 Triple Draw Rules - Hand Rankings

As we mentioned above the 2-7 Triple Draw Hand Rankings take a little bit of time to get used to. Ideally you want all unmatched, unsuited low cards.

Any pairs, straights or flushes will reduce the value of your hand. So for example a 7h-5h-4h-3h-2h will lose to any unsuited lowball hand even if the highest low card in that hand is higher than 7.

Also remember that Aces are always high so 5-4-3-2-A isn't a low straight or wheel but an Ace-five lowball hand (ie A-5-4-3-2). Hands are commonly referred to in that manner - eg 8-6 high is a hand with and 8 and 6 as the two highest cards.

Here's a list of the Top 25 (meaning lowest) hands in 2-7 Triple Draw to help you out:

7-5-4-3-2
7-6-4-3-2
7-6-5-3-2
7-6-5-4-2
8-5-4-3-2
8-6-4-3-2
8-6-5-3-2
8-6-5-4-2
8-6-5-4-3
8-7-4-3-2
8-7-5-3-2
8-7-5-4-2
8-7-5-4-3
8-7-6-3-2
8-7-6-4-2
8-7-6-4-3
8-7-6-5-2
8-7-6-5-3
9-5-4-3-2
9-6-4-3-2
9-6-5-3-2
9-6-5-4-2
9-6-5-4-3
9-7-4-3-2
9-7-5-3-2

A Couple of Quick Strategy Tips for 2-7 Lowball

• If you need more than two cards to make your hand, you should probably fold. With three betting rounds things could get very expensive and you might not even have a made hand at the end.
• Don't forget the rules. Hands like 7 5 3 2 A and 7 6 5 4 3 look very good until you remember that aces are high and straights are even higher.
• Any starting hand with a 2 in it is usually good
• Don't draw more than 3 cards if you can avoid it

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There are many different versions of poker, but Deuce to Seven Triple Draw or 2-7 Triple Draw is unlike most of the other common forms you might well have seen before.

What makes 2-7 Triple Draw poker so unique is the fact that you are chasing the exact opposite to most other poker games. You are trying to make the lowest or worst five-card hand possible. Each player is dealt five cards which nobody else can see and there will be an option to discard and replace unwanted cards in the course of the hand. It’s an exciting game, for sure.

In this handy guide we’ll tell you the rules of Deuce to Seven Triple Draw and tell you what kind of strategy to adopt when playing it, so you can start enjoying this game straight away.

The Rules of 2-7 Triple Draw

The minimum number of player in a Deuce to Seven Triple Draw game is six. A dealer button is used in the game which indicates which player posts a small blind (the player immediately to the button’s left) and which posts the big blind (the player two places to the left of the button). Every player is then dealt five cards face down and betting begins. The player to the left of the one who played the big blind bets first and every play calls, raises or folds until each player still in the game has contributed the same amount to the pot.

Following this round of betting players can decide to discard any cards they don’t want and receive new ones. 0 – 5 cards can be swapped. New cards are dealt in the order which betting will continue. Discarded cards are placed by the dealer into what is known as the muck or discarded pile. New bets are made once every player has received their new cards, if they required any.

There are two further opportunities to discard and replace unwanted cards which are performed in exactly the same way as in the opening round and there is another round of betting following each of them.

If there aren’t enough cards left in the deck to complete any draw, the dealer will shuffle the cards in the muck and deal from those.

Betting in 2-7 Triple Draw

If you are familiar with Texas Hold’em then you’ll be pleased to learn that betting in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw is performed in exactly the same way. If you’re not familiar with the betting then you can learn it very quickly.

Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Draw Poker

There is a small limit and a large limit. For example, a game could be $10/$20. $10 is the low limit and $20 the high limit. The high limit is general double the low limit in every single game. The first two rounds of betting will observe the low limit and the final two see the limit increased to the high limit. Every player must contribute the same amount to the pot in order to conclude a round of betting.

Hand Rankings in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw

The hand rankings of any poker game apply in 2-7 Triple Draw, it’s just that you’re looking for the worst or lowest one possible. A Royal Flush would be the absolute best hand in most other poker games, but it’s considered the worst here. Aces are high and 2s are low and it’s a 2 you will want to have, just one of them though – you don’t want two, three or four of a kind in this game.

Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Drawing

Any straight is a terrible hand too, so 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is one to avoid. The best possible hand is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and is known as a Wheel. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 is known as Number Two as it’s the second best possible hand you can have. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 is known as Number Three as it’s the third best hand and the hands continue to be named in this fashion.

2-7 Triple Draw Poker Rules

Other notable hands are Nut 8 which is 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, Nut 9 – 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 – and any other Nut hand which is formed in the same way.

Having a pair isn’t necessarily damaging as another player might also have one. The best pair hand you can have in 2-7 Triple Draw is 2, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Poker Rules 2-7 Triple Draw Rules

It goes without saying that all the good hands mentioned above need to be off suit.

As you move up the poker hand rankings of traditional poker, the worse they become in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw. It might sound easy to end up with a hand of absolute junk, but it’s actually quite difficult as you’ll discover once you start playing.

2-7 Triple Draw Poker Strategy

There are a few things you need to remember when playing Deuce to Seven Triple Draw. The most important is that the hand ranking is the polar opposite of that which you’re used to. Instinct might well kick in and you’ll feel excited at the sight of a pair of aces but remember that they are a terrible couple of cards to be holding in this game.

You should take care when discarding and replacing cards. If you’re in a situation where you feel like you want to change 5 cards, you’re probably better off folding. As a rule, two cards is the maximum you want to change and at a push you can do it with three, although this is definitely not recommended in the final round.

As well as wanting to break up any pairs, threes of a kind or hands which are traditionally better you should also discard a lone 6. A 6 is needed in order to form any low straight and it can be quite a damaging card.

Bet in the same way as you would in other poker games, except you want people to believe that you’ve got bad or low cards rather than good or high ones. It can take a little while, but once you master Deuce to Seven Triple Draw you’ll find that it’s a lot of fun.