2-7 Triple Draw Rules
2-7 Triple Draw, also called Deuce to Seven, is a five-card lowball draw game where the lowest hand wins and you have three chances to draw. Its hand ranking is the mirror of normal poker with two twists: aces are high, and straights and flushes count against you. The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2.
The 2-7 hand ranking
Three rules set 2-7 apart from ace-to-five lowball:
- Aces are always high, so an ace is a bad card for your low
- Straights count against you
- Flushes count against you
Read a hand from its highest card down, and the lower hand wins. 8-6-4-3-2 beats 8-7-5-4-2 because the second card, a six, beats a seven.
The strongest hands
| Hand | Note |
|---|---|
| 7-5-4-3-2 | The best possible hand ("the wheel" of 2-7) |
| 7-6-4-3-2 | Second best seven-low |
| 7-6-5-3-2 | A seven-low with a higher second card |
| 8-6-4-3-2 | A typical strong eight-low |
How a hand plays out
Blinds and deal
Blinds are posted and five cards are dealt face down to each player.
First betting round
Act on your starting five cards.
First draw, then bet
Discard any number of cards for replacements, then a betting round.
Second draw, then bet
Another draw and betting round. Limits usually double from here.
Third draw, then final bet
A last draw, a final betting round, then showdown.
Showdown
The lowest 2-7 hand takes the pot.
A worked example
Two players stand pat and reach showdown. Alice holds 8♠ 6♥ 4♣ 3♦ 2♠. Bob holds 7♣ 6♦ 5♠ 4♥ A♦.
Alice has an eight-low, 8-6-4-3-2, with no straight and no flush.
Bob’s lowest five cards are 7-6-5-4-A. The ace is high, so this hand is ace-high, far worse than any eight-low despite looking small.
Alice’s eight-low beats Bob’s ace-high, so Alice wins the pot.
On SPN
SPN uses fixed-limit betting for 2-7 Triple Draw. The draw interface prompts you three times to select cards to discard, and hand evaluation at showdown applies 2-7 lowball rules automatically. Dealing is provably fair and tables are bot-free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best hand in 2-7 Triple Draw?
The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 with at least two suits, sometimes called the number-one hand. It is the lowest five cards that do not form a straight, because the six is skipped.
Why is 2-3-4-5-6 a bad hand?
Because it is a straight, and in 2-7 lowball straights count against you. Even though those are the five lowest cards, the straight makes it a six-high straight, a strong high hand and therefore a terrible low.
Are aces high or low in 2-7?
Aces are always high in 2-7 lowball, which makes an ace one of the worst cards to hold. A hand with an ace can at best be ace-high, well behind any seven- or eight-low.
Do flushes count against me?
Yes. Both straights and flushes count as high hands in 2-7, so five low cards of the same suit is a flush and plays as a high hand, not a low.
How many draws are there?
Three. After the first betting round you draw, bet, draw, bet, draw, and bet a final time before showdown. You may stand pat on any draw when your hand is already strong.