2 – 7 Triple draw is a variety of Poker where the idea is to make the best low poker hand
consisting from five cards. Triple draw is often known as a lowball game, as the idea is to make low hands. The idea of Triple draw is the make the lowest possible hand using the 5 cards.
Unlike other games such as Razz and Omaha Hi/Lo, straights and flushes are taken into account, and are considered bad hands. The idea of the game is to have as many low cards as possible. For example, the best hand possible in Triple draw is 2,3,4,5,7 unsuited. These are the lowest possible cards you can have that do not make a straight, pair or any other poker hand. Aces always count as high in Triple draw, so the lowest card is a deuce (2).
The Game
A full table will have six players sitting in. As in most Poker games, a player is nominated as a dealer, and small and big blinds are required to be put into the pot by the two players left of the dealer. The game can be played with antes, but it is much more common to be played with blinds.
First Draw
As soon as all the required players have their blinds, the dealer will deal 5 cards face down to each player. These are the players starting “hole cards”, and may not be viewed by other players sitting around the table. Whichever player is sat on the left of the big blind makes the first call.
As in Texas Hold Em, players may fold, call the bet equal to the big blind or raise if they so wish. Once the betting has gone round the table, and all players have either checked or called, the players have the opportunity to change their cards for fresh ones, in the hope of getting better cards.
A player can exchange any number of cards if they wish, and if they have a strong first
hand, they may “stand”, and not exchange any cards at all.
Second and Third Draw
Once the first draw has been completed, there begins another betting round. The betting begins with the first player left of the dealer who is still playing. As in the first draw, players have the option of changing their cards in the hope for receiving better ones. Once the second draw has finished, there is a final third draw.
Once again, the players place their bets, starting with the first remaining player to the left of the dealer. If players so wish to, they may change their cards for the final time.
Depending on the amount of players participating in the match as well as the amount of cards each player wishes to exchange, there may be times where there are not enough cards to deal out to all players. In this case, the players discarded cards will be collected and re shuffled into the deck. The dealer will then deal out the correct amount of cards to the players waiting for new cards.
Showdown
After the third draw has come to an end, there will be a ‘showdown’. A showdown is where the players will compare the cards to determine who has the lowest ranking hands. The player who has the lowest hand will take the pot. In case of a dead tie, the pot will be split equally between the players who have achieved the tie.
A common error people make when playing 2-7 Triple draw, is mistaking high hands
for low ones. One of the most common discrepancies when playing 2-7 Triple draw is that a player with A,2,3,4,6 beats a player with 2,3,4,5,7 . The player with 2,3,4,5,7 actually beats the first player, as Aces are always counted as high in this version of Poker.
Another common mistake people make when playing the game is forgetting that flushes are a high hand, and is one of the worst hands to have whilst playing Triple draw. Someone with 2,3,4,5,7 suited would be beaten by someone holding 6,7,8,9,J , as although the person with the flush has lower cards, they have a much higher hands. This is why Triple draw can take a bit of getting used to at first.
