Single Draw Poker Rules

Stud Poker, formerly 'Stud Horse Poker' is supposedly a cowboy invention that occurred around Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. In this new variant, the Draw which had previously been a single one-off affair of 1, 2 or 3 cards for each player each hand, was stretched out to 4 draws of a single card for each player each hand. Like all games, poker comes with a set of rules that make up the game. Now the rules may differ slightly with the variants, but essentially, they are all based on the same fundamentals. 2-7 (Deuce to Seven) Single Draw is a form of draw poker, sometimes referred to as ‘Kansas City Lowball’. Lowball games reward the best low hand, making it the opposite of games likes Hold’em and Stud, in which the highest hand wins.

Gameplay of 2-7 No Limit Single Draw

• Setting Up

  • You'll need: a button, small & big blinds (similar to Texas Hold'em).
  • Deal each player 5 cards, face down.
  • Use a no limit betting structure.

• The Action

  • Action starts to the left of the big blind. You may fold, call or raise.
  • After the 1st betting round, draw 0-5 cards. Then betting resumes to the left of the button.

• Determining a Winner

  • Worst possible hand wins, so the best hand is the wheel (2-3-4-5-7 offsuit).
  • Note: Straights and flushes DO count against you in this game, and aces play as high only.
  • The player with the worst hand scoops the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is split.

Basic Strategies of 2-7 No Limit Single Draw

• Pre-Draw

  Like most poker games with a button, position is a big factor in 2-7 No Limit Single Draw. Position is more important in this game than in any other form of poker.

  Knowing how many cards your opponent draws before you is key to formulating your strategy.

• Drawing

  As a general rule, you should fold if you must draw more than 1 card.

  Never draw 2 cards unless you get a free draw or you start with 3 cards 8 or lower and the bet is small relative to your opponent's stack size.

  Adjust the number of cards you draw based on your opponent's play.

• Betting

  Betting takes place before and after the first draw. If you draw fewer cards than your opponent, you should generally bet.

  There is no such thing as slow-playing a big hand since your opponent will see how many cards you draw.

What You Need to Know About 2-7 No Limit Single Draw Starting Hands

• Good Starting Hands

  Play these hands in all positions (and for a raise):

  • All pat hands of 9 or better.
  • All 4-card hands 9 or better.

• Poor Starting Hands

  Never play these hands:

  • Hands where you have to draw 3 cards or more.
  • Hands with two paired wheel cards.

• Marginal Starting Hands

  Play these hands cheaply:

  • All hands containing 3 cards of 9 or lower.
  • All hands containing 2 wheel cards when you only have to complete from the small blind.

• Positional Hands

  Play in late position when folded to you:

  • On the button and hand contains 2 wheel cards and an 8 (occasionally a 9 depending on the blinds).
  • In the small blind play any 3-card hands containing 2 wheel cards and an 8 or 9.

Do's and Don'ts for Better 2-7 No Limit Single Draw Play

• Never Limp Early

  Because position is so important, you should never limp into a pot in early position.

• Try Getting Heads-up

  Playing heads-up pots in position is important. Try to reduce the number of players to 2 by raising every time you enter a pot.

• Don't Bluff

  Bluffing (also called snowing) should be reserved for advanced players, and even then, rarely used.

Famous 2-7 No Limit Single Draw Hands

• 2-7 No Limit Single Draw: Action from the 2004 WSOP

  Players including Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson play the WSOP Kansas City Lowball event.

  This Video Contains:

  1. Ferguson doubles up an amateur, 'Jesus heals another cripple'.
  2. Standard banter among the big names.

• 2-7 No Limit Single Draw: Barry Greenstein Wins First WSOP Bracelet

  Barry Greenstein finishes off Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson for his first ever WSOP bracelet.

  This Video Contains:

  1. Barry Greenstein
  2. Chris Ferguson

Where Can I Play 2-7 No Limit Single Draw Online?

• Try for Free:

• Play for Real Money:

2-7 (Deuce to Seven) Single Draw is a form of draw poker, sometimes referred to as ‘Kansas City Lowball’. Lowball games reward the best low hand, making it the opposite of games likes Hold’em and Stud, in which the highest hand wins. Like board games Hold’em and Omaha, the game is played with blinds and a button, and is also sometimes played with antes. In Single Draw, each player has the opportunity to discard and draw cards once, though you may ‘stand pat’ (not discard any cards) on the draw.

2-7 Single Draw Poker Rules

How to Play 2-7 Single Draw

First, it’s important to understand that the hand rankings are different in 2-7 Single Draw than in other low games. In 2-7 Single Draw, straights and flushes count against your low hand, and aces are always high. So the best possible hand is: 7, 5, 4, 3, 2. The following 2-7 hands (not a complete list) are ranked from least powerful (#1, which will rarely win the pot) to most powerful (#16, the nuts):

1. J, 7, 4, 3, 2 (all the same suit – a flush)
2. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 (a straight)
3. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 (a lower straight)
4. 5, 5, 5, 6, 3
5. 2, 2, 7, 6, 5
6. A, 9, 6, 4, 2
7. A, 8, 7, 4, 2
8. A, 5, 4, 3, 2 (not a straight – ace-high)
9. K, J, 8, 7, 4
10. T, 7, 5, 4, 3
11. T, 6, 5, 4, 3
12. T, 6, 5, 4, 2
13. 9, 7, 6, 4, 3
14. 8, 6, 4, 3, 2
15. 7, 6, 4, 3, 2
16. 7, 5, 4, 3, 2

Blinds

Draw games are played using forced bets known as ‘blinds’, with the player sitting to the left of the dealer button posting a small blind, and the player to their left posting the big blind. The small blind is usually equal to half the size of the big blind. Lowball is also sometimes played with an ‘ante’, which is a small forced bet posted by each player in addition to the blinds.

The Deal

Each player is dealt five cards face down. There is then a round of betting, where you have the option to either call, raise, or fold. Players still left in the hand after the first round of betting now have the opportunity to draw. This means you can try and improve your hand by discarding some of the cards, and being dealt new ones to replace them. Click the cards you want to discard, and then hit the ‘Discard’ button. You can discard all five cards if you wish. If you feel that you already have a strong hand, you can opt to ‘Stand Pat’. This means that you are choosing not to discard any of your cards. When the draw is complete, another round of betting ensues, with players having the option to bet or fold (if a bet has been made before the action is on them). If no bets are made, players also have the option to check. If more than one player is still left in the hand at this point, a showdown takes place, with the player holding the best hand taking the pot.

What Is 2-7 Single Draw Poker Rules

So the sequence of action is:

1. Five cards dealt to each player
2. Betting round #1, beginning with player to left of big blind
3. Discard/Draw, beginning with the player to the left of the button
4. Betting round #2, beginning with the player to the left of button
5. Showdown (if necessary)

In draw games, it is possible for more cards to be needed than are remaining in the deck. In this case, the cards are reshuffled, and play continues using the new deck.

Showdown – Determining the Winner

The player with the best five-card 2-7 hand wins the pot. After the pot is awarded to the best hand, a new game of 2-7 Single Draw is ready to be played.

If two or more hands have the same value, the pot is equally split among them. There is no rank of suit for the purposes of awarding the pot. Please remember, this is different from other forms of low or high/low poker, where an ace can be played either high or low. In 2-7 Single Draw, an ace is always the highest card.

Basic Strategy

In Lowball, most hands that are usually strong in games like Hold’em are weak. Pairs, trips (three of a kind), straights and flushes are always considered to be high hands, and so do not qualify in Lowball. If a hand has no pair, the player with the highest ranking card loses. For instance, if one player has 9-6-5-2-3, this hand beats 10-9-6-2-3. In 2-7 games, aces are always high, and are therefore not good. This means that a player holding J-9-7-3-2 beats an opponent with A-9-7-3-2. The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of different suits. This is because the hand is low, has no ace and is not a straight or a flush. It’s for this reason that the game is called 2-7 Lowball.

Learn How to Play 2-7 Single Draw for Free

If you are unfamiliar with 2-7 Single Draw poker, we recommend you try the game out first to get a feel for how it’s played. You are always welcome to play on free poker tables at the poker rooms, and sharpen your skills before playing real money poker.