2-7 Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw is not a poker variant that many regular poker players are even aware exists, however it is becoming very popular among many of the professionals and players that like to play Low games. In recent years sites like Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker have integrated the game, making the game more and more popular but in is still far from being close to games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha in popularity. World Series of Poker has also integrated 2-7 Triple Draw tournaments as bracelet events in the last years, where all the best players participate to show that they master this uncommon poker variant.

2-7 Triple Draw is a special game that is similar to Five Card Draw, but with more draw rounds and using the 2-7 lowball ranking system for hands instead of the high rankings that Five Card Draw uses. All players are dealt five cards face down and then continue to have four betting rounds and three draw rounds before the hand goes to a showdown. There are no community cards in this game, meaning that players can only rely on the cards they have on their hand to create the best possible 2-7 Triple Draw hand.

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The overall game play of 2-7 Triple Draw is very easy to learn, especially while playing online as the poker software handles everything for the players except choosing the cards you should swap. The main problem in learning 2-7 Triple Draw is to learn the hand ranking rules, as the rules are slightly more complicated than in high or normal low games. In the next paragraphs you can read more about the hand rankings and how 2-7 Triple Draw works.

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What are the 2-7 Triple Draw Hand Rankings?

2-7 Triple Draw uses the “lowball” hand ranking system, which is the opposite of the high ranking system, where the player with the highest possible hand wins. However it is not similar to the traditional ace to five low rules, where players have the nuts with the lowest straight possible.

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In 2-7 Triple Draw all pairs, flushes and straights counts against you and are the worst hands you can have. If you have a flush, straight or a pair you will lose to all hands that does not have any of these, no matter how high their hand otherwise is.

Another special rule for the 2-7 game is that the ace is the highest card and not the lowest as it is in other low games. This means that if a player has A-2-3-5-6 he has an ace high hand and not a low combination. The best hand in 2-7 Triple Draw is therefore the lowest possible hand that is not a straight or a flush but simply a combination of low cards. Below we have given some examples in different hands by ranking, starting with the worst possible hand and ending with the best.

  • J, 8, 6, 4, 2 (In the same suit creating a flush. Any hand making a flush is the worst possible hand)
  • 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 (A straight in any form is the second worst holding you can have, no matter how low your cards are)
  • 7, 7, 7, 4, 2 ( Three of a kind is the third worst holding, again no matter how low the cards are)
  • 5, 5, 4, 3, 2 ( A pair is the fourth worst holding to have, no matter how low your cards are)
  • A, 5, 4, 3, 2 ( This combination is a Ace High as Ace is the highest card in 2-7 Triple Draw)
  • K, 7, 5, 4, 2 (This combination is a King High combination, beating all of the above, but is still a bad hand in 2-7 Triple Draw)
  • 8, 7, 6, 5, 2 (This combination is not a bad hand, but all combinations starting with a 7 is better)
  • 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 (This is the second best hand and is known as a 7-6 combination)
  • 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 (This is the best possible hand as it gives the lowest possible combination without being a straight)

Now that you have a better understanding of how the hand ranking works in 2-7 Triple Draw, we can now move on to the basic game play rules so you can start playing yourself.

Basic Game Play – How Does 2-7 Triple Draw Work?

To begin playing 2-7 Triple Draw you will need to know what is going to happen while playing, so you can optimize your strategy.

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2-7 Triple Draw is a blinds game which means that two players will pay blinds each round and that the dealer will have position in each hand that is played. The dealer will deal each player five cards face down and in clockwise rotation around the table. When all players have received their cards the first betting round will begin.

The two players to the left of the dealer will be forced to pay the first bets, known as blinds. Blinds have been integrated in poker games to create action because there will be something to play about in each hand. The player on the direct left of the dealer will post a small blind and the second player to the left of the dealer will have to post the big blind. Once the blinds have been posted, the player on the left of the big blind will act first and the action will then rotate clockwise around the table until everyone has made their decision. There will then be a draw round where players can swap cards for the first time out of three possible times. In total there will be four betting round and three draw rounds before players eventually come to a showdown of their hands. At showdown the player with the best possible 2-7 hand will win the pot and a new hand will begin.

2-7 Triple Draw can be played with 2-6 players at the table, but not more players. This is due to players having to be able to swap their cards and with more players there will not be enough cards for everyone. Since there are three swapping rounds, the deck might run out of original cards. In the case that happens, the cards that have been swapped will be reshuffled and used to swap cards.

Button and Blinds

When you play 2-7 Triple Draw all hands have to have a dealer assigned to know who has to post blinds, who has to act first and who has to act last. To assign the button when you start up a new table, the poker software will deal all players a card face up and the highest card wins the button the first round. The button will then move around the table in a clockwise manner so all players get to be the dealer for each round of 2-7 Triple Draw played.

When a player has been assigned to the button, the dealing of the cards will begin. The player to the immediate left of the dealer will have to post a small blind and the second player to the left of the dealer will post the big blind. With the dealer button rotating around the table, all players will be forced to pay the blinds eventually. When you play 2-7 Triple Draw online the software takes care of all of this for you, so you don’t need to worry about that and you can just focus on playing your cards.

Betting and Drawing Rounds

First Betting Round

The first betting round is where players receive their cards and can begin to play. The player with the dealer button will virtually deal all players a total of five cards, one card at a time. When all players have received their cards, the player to the direct left of the player will post the small blind and the second player to the left will post the big blind. When this is done, the round begins with the player to the left of the big blind starting the action. The players will have the following options:

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  • Call: When players have a hand that they want to continue with and are able to improve they can call the big blind or a raise to continue in the hand
  • Raise: When players have a good hand from the start, they can raise to get as much money as possible in the hand
  • Fold: When players have a terrible hand that they don’t think they can improve they have the option to fold and no longer participate in the hand

When the first player has made his decision, the action moves around the table clockwise until everyone has made their decision, after that the hand moves on to the first draw round.

First Draw Round

When the first betting round is over, it is time for players to swap the cards they want to change. Players will be able to exchange all their cards if they want or not change any at all, but can only do it one time per draw round. The player that was in the small blind in the first betting round will be the first player to swap cards and then the swapping continues clockwise around the table, ending with the player being the dealer. When all players are done swapping cards, the hand continues to the second betting round.

Second Betting Round

After the first draw round, the second betting round begins. The first player to act in the second betting round and in the following betting rounds will be the player to the left of the dealer, who was the small blind in the first betting round. In the second betting round players are able to check, bet, raise, call and fold depending on the prior action. Players can only choose to check if there has not been any bets in the round before their turn, otherwise they have to choose one of the other options. When the betting round is over, the hand goes on to the second draw round.

Second Draw Round

Just like in the first draw round, the players are now able to swap the cards that they don’t want in order to try and improve their hands. The first player to swap his cards is the player to the left of the dealer and it then continues around the table until everyone has swapped their cards. When this is over, the hand continues to the third betting round.

Third Betting Round

The third betting round is the same as the previous rounds, starting with the player on the left of the dealer and continuing around the table until everyone has made their decision. Once again players can choose to check, bet, raise, call or fold and are only able to check if there has been no prior bets in the round. The hand then moves on to the third and final draw round.

Third and Final Draw Round

In the third and final draw round, the players have the last chance to swap cards to improve their hand before the final betting round. Once again the player to the left of the dealer will be the first to swap his cards and ends when the dealer has swapped his cards. When all players have swapped their cards, the fourth and final betting round begins.

Fourth and Final Betting Round

After the last draw round, the fourth and final betting round begins. The final betting round works exactly like the previous rounds, having the player on the left of the dealer acting first and then the rest of the players in a clockwise rotation. Players can check, bet, raise, call or fold depending on the action prior on the table. When all players have made their decision for the last time, the players go to showdown to determine who has the best low hand.

Showdown

When all players have made their action in the last betting round, the players come to a showdown to determine who has the best low hand. Showdown only happens if a hand goes all the way to the last betting round and has more than one player left at that point.

The dealer will then show the players cards to determine who has the best 2-7 Triple Draw hand and award the pot to the player. Should two players have the exact same hand the pot will be split between two.

What Are the 2-7 Triple Draw Rules In a Nutshell?

2-7 Triple Draw rules are not that difficult to understand, however they are slightly different than other poker games. We have summarized the most important rules for you:

  • 2-7 Triple Draw is a poker game where you will draw to make the best ‘worst’ hand. You are dealt five cards face down, followed by three drawing rounds where you can swap your cards to try improving your hand. There are no community cards dealt on the table. At any drawing round you can choose to ‘stand pat’ or not to swap any cards.
  • There are four betting rounds in a 2-7 triple draw poker game. The first betting round is after the cards are dealt and the last after the third drawing round before the hand goes into showdown.
  • In 2-7 Triple Draw you win at showdown when you hold the best ‘worst’ hand. 2-7 Triple Draw uses the ‘lowball’ hand rankings with, however this is not the same as in Omaha Hi/Lo or Stud Hi/Lo. There is a twist.
  • Important to know in 2-7 Triple Draw is that a straight A, 2, 3, 4, 5 does not count as the lowest hand as it is in other low games. Because the Ace is the highest card in 2-7 triple draw, in this example you would show High Card Ace.
  • In 2-7 Triple Draw you want to avoid any Straight, Flush, Pairs and High Cards.
  • The best hands in 2-7 Triple Draw that you want to draw towards are any combination of low cards, that are not a straight or a flush. The best hand in 2-7 Triple Draw is 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and the second-best hand is 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 also referred to as the 7-6 combination.

What Is the Best Hand in 2-7 Triple Draw?

The best hand in 2-7 Triple Draw is actually the ‘worst’ hand that you can turn around at show down. The winning and therefore best hand in 2-7 Triple Draw is 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 (not a flush). Second to this is a hand called the 7-6 combination, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 (not a flush).

Is 2-7 Triple Draw Typically Played Limit or No Limit?

2-7 Triple Draw is mostly played in a fixed limit format, which offers the best gameplay and allows for the use of strategy. Typically, a fixed limit game, 2-7 Triple Draw can be played No Limit, however this will make strategy and skills less important and can turn the game into a crapshoot.

How to Design Your Winning 2-7 Triple Draw Strategy?

To win in 2-7 triple draw, you will have to apply a certain strategy when it comes to drawing and betting. And although there is no single winning 2-7 triple draw strategy, you can always optimize your game plan.

In poker you do not only play your cards, but you also play your opponent. The optimal strategy in 2-7 Triple Draw therefore includes both.

Assuming you understand the rules and hand rankings, each betting and drawing round gives you the opportunity to signal the strength of your hand and try to win the hand early. Of course, if you hold the nuts (7, 5, 4, 3, 2), you want to take as many players to showdown as possible. However, think about what strategy you will implement when holding the nuts after the first drawing round and there are two more to go. What will you do? Not drawing a card might give the strength of your hand away.

When it comes to swapping your cards in 2-7 Triple Draw, you want to hold your low cards. When you are dealt a 7, you will always want to keep this. Your end goal is to draw towards 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 7, 6, 4, 3, 2 where possible. While 8, 7, 6, 5, 2 is not a bad hand, you can still expect another player to beat you. This is where paying attention to a player’s table image and playing style comes in. Cards that you always want to discard are high cards such as Aces, Kings etc. One of the worst things that can happen in 2-7 Triple Draw is that you end up with a pair after the final drawing round. So think about this when designing your own 2-7 Triple Draw winning strategy.

Without a doubt, cards matter, but so do the other players you play with. Find out your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and press your advantage whenever possible.

A winning strategy in poker already starts by making sure that you are playing against the right opponents. If you are playing against players who are better than you, then it is likely that you will lose. You should also try to avoid playing hands that you are not confident in. This will increase your chance of winning.

What Is 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball?

The term lowball refers to the hand ranking system that the 2-7 Triple Draw poker card game uses. In short, lowball means that the winning hand will actually be the best ‘worst’ hand that you have. However in 2-7, holding a ‘wheel’ is something you want to avoid at all times.

What Is a Wheel in 2-7 Triple Draw?

When you hold a Wheel in 2-7 Triple Draw, you do not have a winning hand. The A, 2, 3, 4, 5 wheel is one of the worst hands in 2-7 Triple Draw which is the total opposite to its strength in Stud Hi/Lo or Omaha Hi/Lo, where you would hold the best hand.

Is a 2-7 Triple Draw Calculator Helpful?

While there are a few 2-7 Triple Draw calculators available, they do not bring much added value. Poker tools use information of open cards (and the hands you put your opponents on) to calculate hand strength and equity versus other players. With cards dealt face down and the added complexity of drawing rounds, using a calculator in 2-7 Triple Draw does not really give you much of an edge. Instead of using a calculator, learn from experience, play the game and study your hands played.

How to Play 2-7 Triple Draw Online?

2-7 Triple Draw can be played online or in a real casino/poker room. While perhaps more fun, playing 2-7 Triple Draw face to face also helps you assess the player better and it might be easier to find some ‘tells’ where your opponent gives away the strength of the hand.

Playing 2-7 Triple Draw online has many benefits, one of which is the speed at which hands are dealt and cards drawn. You will be able to play a lot more hands than you would in a regular casino.

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