Explanation of a Low Hand

Low hands come into play in two distinct types of poker games.

Lowball Variants – In this category, the pot is secured by the hand deemed the 'worst.'

Split Pot Variants – The pot is split The competition revolves around identifying the strongest high hand compared to a low hand .

While the guidelines governing high hands maintain a degree of uniformity across various formats (with some exceptions such as in 6-plus Hold'em), the regulations concerning low hands differ substantially depending on the specific poker variant being played.

Let’s see some examples.

Low hands in Razz

Razz is the lowball This refers to a specific type of seven card stud game; for further details about Razz and its unique gameplay, consult the glossary entry dedicated to it.

In the game of Razz, Aces are treated as low cards, and both straights and flushes are disregarded. Therefore, the best possible hand, or 'the nuts,' in Razz is A, 2, 3, 4, 5.

It's important to understand that the strength of a low hand is gauged according to its highest card across all lowball formats. This can sometimes create confusion among players.

Hand 1: A,2,4,6,7
Hand 2: 2,3,4,5,6

One might mistakenly assume that Hand 1 is superior simply because it contains an Ace. However, the true measure of a low hand's strength relies on its highest card. In this scenario, Hand 1 qualifies as 'seven-low,' while Hand 2 is classified as 'six-low.' Thus, Hand 2 ultimately wins the pot.

Low hands in 2-7 Triple Draw

In Triple Draw, the ranking system is the polar opposite of the familiar high hand systems most players are accustomed to. Essentially, what would be considered the worst hand in Hold'em is the winning hand in this game.

The least favorable 5-card combination in Hold'em is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7. In the 2-7 Stud format, Aces are always treated as high. A 'six low' cannot occur since it signifies the formation of a straight (i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Additionally, all-flush hands negatively impact your score. If one holds 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 all of the same suit, the hand is essentially worthless.


The lowball rankings are not difficult to memorize, as the name of the game provides a significant hint. It's called 2-7 Triple Draw because the best hand, or 'nuts,' is 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7.

Low hands in Omaha Hi/Lo

In Omaha, the rules regarding low hands mirror those found in Razz. The best possible low hand, often referred to as 'the wheel,' is A, 2, 3, 4, 5, and neither straights nor flushes negatively affect this hand.

In Omaha Hi/Lo, it can actually be beneficial if your low hand simultaneously qualifies for flushes or straights, as the identical cards can be leveraged to form your high hand.

A distinct aspect of Omaha Hi/Lo is that there exists a minimum requirement for qualifying as a low hand . For further clarification on this, see the glossary entry relating to qualify .

Example of Low Hand used in a sentence -> The optimal low hand is commonly referred to as 'the nut low' for brevity.

How to Incorporate Low Hand into Your Poker Strategy

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To return to our above example -

Hand 1: A,2,4,6,7
Hand 2: 2,3,4,5,6

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See Also

Hand Rankings , Lowball , Razz , Stud , Omaha , Hold’em

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