The hand rankings for low are used in games with split pots, as well as in games where the only aim is going for low. However in games that only go for low, there is no rule for a qualifying hand as presented below. Some pure low games also has other game specific criterias for the lowest hand. For example in Triple Draw (2-7), stragihts and flushes do count against the lowest hand and the ace is high only. The rules presented for the best five card low hand in this section are valid for high low split games and at the same time apply to a great extent to pure low games.
Split pot games has one half of the pot dedicated to the high hand and the other half dedidated to the lowets hand, according to the hand ranking below. In order to get the low half of the pot, the hand must apart form beeing the best low hand also qualify.
Qualifying hands, 8 or better
In order for the hand to qualify as a low hand, in high low split games, then the hand must consist of five differently ranked cards with the highest of them not beeing higher than an eight. If this definition sounds tricky then relax. It sounds much harder than it is. Studying the list and tables below will make it crystal clear.
Ranking
One important note: Suits and sequences are irrelevant for low. Having a flush, if the high hand rankings are used, does not break your low hand. The best low hand is not the worst high ranked hand. Rather the best low hand is the hand with the five lowest yet separate ranked cards. That is a five card hand can not include a pair: A-A-2-3-5 is not a qualified low hand as it does not have five differently ranked cards.
Five High, or Wheel
A hand with five differently ranked cards where the highest ranked card is a five. In the event of a tie all five high hands split the pot.
Six High
A hand with five differently ranked cards where the highest ranked card is a six. In the event of a tie the lower second-highest ranked card wins the pot. Thus 6432A beats 6532A. For further examples of how ties are broken please study the table at the bottom of the page where all the qualifying low hands for an 8 or better game are listed in order from the best to worst.
Seven High
A hand with five differently ranked cards where the highest ranked card is a seven.
Eight High
A hand with five differently ranked cards where the highest ranked card is an eight.
The whole list
All the qualifying low hands for an 8 or better game in order of best to worst:
1: 5-4-3-2-A
2: 6-4-3-2-A
3: 6-5-3-2-A
4: 6-5-4-2-A
5: 6-5-4-3-A
6: 6-5-4-3-2
7: 7-4-3-2-A
8: 7-5-3-2-A
9: 7-5-4-2-A
10: 7-5-4-3-A
11: 7-5-4-3-2
12: 7-6-3-2-A
13: 7-6-4-2-A
14: 7-6-4-3-A
15: 7-6-4-3-2
16: 7-6-5-2-A
17: 7-6-5-3-A
18: 7-6-5-3-2
19: 7-6-5-4-A
20: 7-6-5-4-2
21: 7-6-5-4-3
22: 8-4-3-2-A
23: 8-5-3-2-A
24: 8-5-4-2-A
25: 8-5-4-3-A
26: 8-5-4-3-2
27: 8-6-3-2-A
28: 8-6-4-2-A
29: 8-6-4-3-A
30: 8-6-4-3-2
31: 8-6-5-2-A
32: 8-6-5-3-A
33: 8-6-5-3-2
34: 8-6-5-4-A
35: 8-6-5-4-2
36: 8-6-5-4-3
37: 8-7-3-2-A
38: 8-7-4-2-A
39: 8-7-4-3-A
40: 8-7-4-3-2
41: 8-7-5-2-A
42: 8-7-5-3-A
43: 8-7-5-3-2
44: 8-7-5-4-A
45: 8-7-5-4-2
46: 8-7-5-4-3
47: 8-7-6-2-A
48: 8-7-6-3-A
49: 8-7-6-3-2
50: 8-7-6-4-A
51: 8-7-6-4-2
52: 8-7-6-4-3
53: 8-7-6-5-A
54: 8-7-6-5-2
55: 8-7-6-5-3
56: 8-7-6-5-4
By Lars Bengtsson
Added 2005-07-26 04:22:48
