2 to 7 Triple Draw Poker Rules

Deuce to Seven Triple Draw

Lowball 2 to 7 triple draw is a poker variation which is very popular among the high-stake players in California and Las Vegas and is the most famous mixed poker game in the world. It is also played at some of the online poker rooms as well as the home games. In 2 to 7 triple draw every player receives five hole cards with the goal of making the lowest-possible card combination. There are four betting rounds and three card draws. After the first three betting rounds which all take place clockwise starting from the dealer, each player is free to change up to three of their cards, although they may also not change any. As soon as all of the players draw their cards, the next betting round starts. Deuce to seven triple draw poker is a Fixed-Limit game therefore every bet is predetermined and the bets in the last two betting rounds are twice as big as those of the first two.

Card Combinations

The purpose of the game in lowball 2 to 7 triple draw is to collect the lowest-possible 5-card combination. Unlike in other lowball games, the aces in deuce to seven triple draw are always the highest and deuces – the lowest cards. 2 to 7 straights and flushes do not strengthen the hand, on the contrary, they weaken it. Therefore 23456 is NOT the lowest-possible hand as it's a straight and a very weak hand. The strongest hand is 23457 offsuit. This combination is also called the “wheel”. The next strongest hands are 23467, 23567, 24567, 23458 etc. Hand strength in deuce to seven triple draw is opposite to the strength of the hands in the regular poker games.

Game Structure

The maximum number of players that can participate in a triple draw poker game is 6. The dealer button and the blinds are used in the same way as in Texas Hold'em games. The player on the left of the dealer button posts the small blind whereas the next one clockwise – the big blind. The small blind contributes a half of the small bet and the big blind – the full small bet.

The First Betting Round

The player on the big blind's left, also known as “Under the Gun” or simply UTG, starts the betting round. They have three options – call the big blind, make a raise or fold their cards. For example in a $10/$20 triple draw game the small blind is $5, big blind – $10 and UTG can fold, call $10 or make a $20 raise. On their turn every player also has the right to flop, call or raise. There might come one call and as much as three raises from one player during the betting round.

The First Draw

As soon as the first betting round is finished, each of the remaining players gain the right to draw their cards. They decide which of their hole cards do not fit and change them into the ones from the deck. The first one to draw their cards is the player on the dealer's left, then the next player and all the rest of the players clockwise. They may as well not change their cards and leave their hands as they were. The dealer then collects the drawn cards and issues the players with the new ones. For example, the first player to act draws 4 cards, the next one – 3 and the last one – 1. The dealer then gathers all of these cards, puts them aside and hands over 4 cards from the deck to the first player, 3 to the next one and 1 to the last.

The Rest of the Game Play

When the first card draw is finished, the second betting round begins. The player on the dealer's left may check (pass the right for the move to the next player clockwise) or make a bet. Should the player bet, the one on their left may call, raise or fold their cards. However, if the first to act player checks, the next one may do the same or make a bet. This continues clockwise until the betting round is finished. Another draw starts which is then followed by the third betting round in which the bets are doubled. Therefore in a $10/$20 game all the bets in this and in the final betting round will increase by $20. The bets go in the same way as before with the third and the final draw staring as soon as the betting round is finished. As the draw ends, the bets continue as they did in the previous round. As soon as the betting is finished, the last player to make a bet or a raise may show their cards or fold. The showdown continues clockwise with every remaining player either showing the cards or folding. The player with the lowest combination collects the pot.

In Case of Card Shortage

Sometimes there might be a shortage of cards in the deck. This happens when there are a lot of players in the game who often draw their cards. When such a situation occurs, all of the drawn cards are collected, shuffled, the deck is being cut and the draw continues. However, if the player draws two of their cards and the dealer has only one card left, the two cards given up by the player can NOT be shuffled and returned to the player.