In Lowball Poker, unlike traditional poker where high-ranking hands like full houses or straights are desirable, the goal is to have the lowest possible hand. Depending on the variation, certain rules may determine whether straights or flushes count against your hand, but generally, a hand like 5-4-3-2-A (known as a “wheel”) is considered the best possible hand in most Lowball games. Lowball is often played as either a draw game, where players can exchange cards to improve their hand, or as a community card game, where shared cards are dealt.
Lowball Poker Example
For example, in a game of 5-card Lowball Draw, a player may discard three high cards like Kings and Queens, aiming to get low-value cards such as 2s, 3s, and 4s in hopes of achieving the lowest hand possible.