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LOW BALL
Lowball is draw poker with the lowest hand winning the pot.
Each player is dealt five cards facedown, after which there
is a betting round. Players are required to open with a bet
or fold . The players who remain in the pot after the first
betting round now have an option to improve their hand by replacing
cards in their hands with new ones. This is the draw. The game
is normally played with one or more blinds, sometimes with an
ante added. Some betting structures allow the big blind to be
called; other structures require the minimum open to be double
the big blind . In limit poker, the usual structure has the
limit double after the draw (Northern California is an exception).
The most popular forms of lowball are ace-to-five lowball (also
known as California lowball), and deuce-to-seven lowball (also
known as Kansas City lowball). Ace-to-five lowball gets its
name because the best hand at that form is 5-4-3-2-A. Deuce-to-seven
lowball gets its name because the best hand at that form is
7-5-4-3-2 (not of the same suit). For a further description
of the forms of lowball, please see the individual section for
each game.
All rules governing kill pots are listed in “Kill
Pots.”
RULES OF LOWBALL
1. The rules governing misdeals for hold’em and other
button games will be used for lowball. These rules governing
misdeals are reprinted here for convenience. The following circumstances
cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before
two players have acted on their hands:
(a) The first or second card of the hand has been dealt faceup
or exposed through dealer error.
(b) Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
(c) Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting
hands of a game.
(d) An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player,
except the button may receive one more
card to complete a starting hand.
(e) The button was out of position.
(f) The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
(g) Cards have been dealt out of the proper sequence.
(h) Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled
to a hand.
(i) A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. This
player must be present at the table or
have posted a blind or ante.”
2. In limit play, a bet and four raises are allowed in multihanded
pots.
3. As a new player, you have two options:
(a) To wait for the big blind
(b) To kill the pot for double the amount of the big blind .
4. In a single-blind game, a player who has less than half a
blind may receive a hand. However, the next player is obligated
to take the blind. If the all-in player wins the pot or buys
in again, that player will then be obligated to either take
the blind on the next deal or sit out until due for the big
blind.
5. In single-blind game s, half a blind or more constitutes
a full blind.
6. In single-blind game s, if you fail to take the blind, you
may only be dealt in on the blind.
7. In multiple-blind games, if for any reason the big blind
passes your seat, you may either wait for the big blind or kill
the pot in order to receive a hand. This does not apply if you
have taken all of your blinds and changed seats. In this situation,
you may be dealt in as soon as your position relative to the
blinds entitles you to a hand (the button may go by you once
without penalty).
8. Before the draw, whether an exposed card must be taken depends
on the form of lowball being played; see that form. (The player
never has an option.)
9. On the draw, an exposed card cannot be taken. The draw is
completed to each player in order, and then the exposed card
is replaced.
10. A player may draw up to four consecutive cards. If a player
wishes to draw five new cards, four are dealt right away, and
the fifth card after everyone else has drawn cards. If the last
player wishes to draw five new cards, four are dealt right away,
and a card is burned before the player receives a fifth card.
[See “Section 16 – Explanations,” discussion
#9, for more information about this rule.]
11. Five cards constitute a playing hand; more or fewer than
five cards after the draw constitutes a fouled hand. Before
the draw, if you have fewer than five cards in your hand, you
may receive additional cards, provided no action has been taken
by the first player to act (unless that action occurs before
the deal is completed). However, the dealer position may still
receive a missing fifth card, even if action has taken place.
If action has been taken, you are entitled on the draw to receive
the number of cards necessary to complete a five-card hand.
12. You may change the number of cards you wish to draw, provided:
(a) No card has been dealt off the deck in response to your
request (including the burncard).
(b) No player has acted, in either the betting or indicating
the number of cards to be drawn, based on
the number of cards you have requested.
13. If you are asked how many cards you drew by another active
player, you are obligated to respond until there has been action
after the draw, and the dealer is also obligated to respond.
Once there is any action after the draw, you are no longer obliged
to respond and the dealer cannot respond.
14. Rapping the table in turn constitutes either a pass or the
declaration of a pat hand that does not want to draw any cards,
depending on the situation.
15. Cards speak (cards read for themselves). However, you are
not allowed to claim a better hand than you hold. (Example:
If a player calls an "8", that player must produce
at least an "8" low or better to win. But if a player
erroneously calls the second card incorrectly, such as “8-6”
when actually holding an 8-7, no penalty applies.) If you miscall
your hand and cause another player to foul his or her hand,
your hand is dead. If both hands remain intact, the best hand
wins. If a miscalled hand occurs in a multihanded pot, the miscalled
hand is dead, and the best remaining hand wins the pot. For
your own protection, always hold your hand until you see your
opponent’s cards.
16. Any player spreading a hand with a pair in it must announce
"pair" or risk losing the pot if it causes any other
player to foul a hand. If two or more hands remain intact, the
best hand wins the pot.
ACE-TO-FIVE LOWBALL
In ace-to-five lowball, the best hand is any 5-4-3-2-A. An ace
is the lowest-ranking card. For hands with a pair, A-A beats
2-2. Straights and flushes do not count against your hand.
1. If a joker is used, it becomes the lowest card not present
in your hand. The joker is assumed to be in use unless the contrary
is posted.
2. In limit play, check-raise is not permitted (unless the players
are alerted that it is allowed).
3. In limit ace-to-five lowball, before the draw, an exposed
card of seven or under must be taken, and an exposed card higher
than a seven must be replaced after the deal has been completed.
This first exposed card is used as the burncard.
4. In limit play, the “sevens rule” is assumed to
be in use (the players should be alerted if it is not). If you
check a seven or better and it is the best hand, all action
after the draw is void, and you cannot win any money on any
subsequent bets. You are still eligible to win whatever existed
in the pot before the draw if you have the best hand. If you
check a seven or better and the hand is beaten, you lose the
pot and any additional calls you make. If there is an all-in
bet after the draw that is less than half a bet , a seven or
better may just call and win that bet . However, if another
player overcalls this short bet and loses, the person who overcalls
receives the bet back. If the seven or better completes to a
full bet , this fulfills all obligations.
DEUCE-TO-SEVEN LOWBALL
In deuce-to-seven lowball (sometimes known as Kansas City lowball),
in most respects, the worst conventional poker hand wins. Straights
and flushes count against you, crippling the value of a hand.
The ace is used only as a high card. Therefore, the best hand
is 7-5-4-3-2, not all of the same suit. The hand 5-4-3-2-A is
not considered to be a straight, but an ace-5 high, so it beats
other ace-high hands and pairs, but loses to king-high. A pair
of aces is the highest pair, so it loses to any other pair.
The rules for deuce-to-seven lowball are the same as those for
ace-to-five lowball, except for the following differences:
1. The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of at least two different suits.
Straights and flushes count against you, and aces are considered
high only.
2. Before the draw, an exposed card of 7, 5, 4, 3, or, 2 must
be taken. Any other exposed card must be replaced (including
a 6).
3. check-raise is allowed on any hand after the draw, and a
seven or better is not required to bet .
NO-LIMIT AND POT-LIMIT LOWBALL
1. All the rules for no-limit and pot-limit poker (see No-limit
and Pot-limit) apply to no-limit and pot-limit lowball. All
other lowball rules apply, except as noted.
2. A player is not entitled to know that an opponent does not
hold the best possible hand, so these rules for exposed cards
before the draw apply:
(a) In ace-to-five lowball, a player must take an exposed card
of A, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and any other card
must be replaced.
(b) In deuce-to-seven lowball, the player must take an exposed
card of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7, and any other
card including a 6 must be replaced.
3. After the draw, any exposed card must be replaced.
4. After the draw, a player may check any hand without penalty
(The sevens rule is not used).
5. check-raise is allowed.
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