What Is 2-7 Single Draw?
2-7 Single Draw, also known as Deuce to Seven Single Draw Lowball or Kansas City Lowball, is a draw poker game where the lowest hand wins the pot. Unlike Texas Hold’em and many other poker variants, the aim isn’t to make the highest hand. It’s to make the lowest one.
Each player receives five face-down cards and has one opportunity to discard unwanted cards and draw replacements. You can exchange anywhere from one to five cards, or stand pat and keep your original hand.
With just one draw and two betting rounds, every decision counts. Knowing which cards to keep and when to make your move is key to getting the most out of your hand.
How to Play 2-7 Single Draw
Before you get started, it’s important to understand how hand rankings work in 2-7 Single Draw. Unlike other lowball games, Aces are always high, and straights and flushes count against your hand.
The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2, with all five cards not of the same suit. This hand is low, unpaired and neither a straight nor a flush, making it the strongest possible combination in 2-7 Single Draw.
Here are 16 example hands, ranked from weakest (#1) to strongest (#16):
- J-7-4-3-2 (all the same suit — a flush)
- 8-7-6-5-4 (a straight)
- 7-6-5-4-3 (a lower straight)
- 5-5-5-6-3 (three of a kind)
- 2-2-7-6-5 (a pair)
- A-9-6-4-2
- A-8-7-4-2
- A-5-4-3-2 (Ace-high, not a straight)
- K-J-8-7-4
- 10-7-5-4-3
- 10-6-5-4-3
- 10-6-5-4-2
- 9-7-6-4-3
- 8-6-4-3-2
- 7-6-4-3-2
- 7-5-4-3-2 (the best possible hand)
When comparing unpaired hands, start with the highest card. The hand with the lower highest card wins. If both hands share the same highest card, compare the next highest cards, continuing until the winner is determined. Pairs, three of a kind, straights and flushes all count against your hand, so a low, unpaired combination is usually the goal.
Blinds
Like Texas Hold’em, 2-7 Single Draw uses a dealer button and blinds to get the action started.
The player to the left of the dealer button posts the small blind, and the next player posts the big blind. The small blind is usually half the size of the big blind, although the exact amounts depend on the game.
Some lowball games also use an ante, a small forced bet contributed by every player before the cards are dealt.
The Deal and First Betting Round
Each player receives five face-down cards. Once the deal is complete, the first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
Depending on the action, you can fold, call or raise. Once the betting round is complete, any players still in the hand move on to the draw.
The Draw
In 2-7 Single Draw, you get one opportunity to improve your hand by exchanging cards.
Select the cards you want to discard, then click the Discard button to confirm your selection. You can exchange anywhere from one to all five cards, or choose to stand pat if you’re happy with your current hand.
Once all active players have completed the draw, the second betting round begins. The first active player to the left of the dealer button acts first.
Players can check if no bet has been made, or bet, call, raise or fold as permitted by the action. If more than one player remains after the final betting round, it’s time for showdown.
Here’s the full sequence of a 2-7 Single Draw hand:
- The deal: Each player receives five face-down cards.
- Betting round 1: Action begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
- The draw: Players discard and replace cards, or stand pat.
- Betting round 2: Action begins with the first active player to the left of the dealer button.
- Showdown: If more than one player remains, the best hand wins the pot.
Occasionally, a draw game may require more cards than remain in the undealt deck. If this happens, eligible discards and the remaining undealt cards are reshuffled to form a new deck, and play continues. Find out more in our Reshuffling the Deck guide.
Showdown: Determining the Winner
If more than one player remains after the final betting round, the hand goes to showdown.
The player with the best five-card 2-7 hand wins the pot. Remember, Aces are always high, and straights and flushes count against your hand. The aim is to make the lowest possible unpaired hand without forming a straight or flush.
If two or more players have hands of equal value, the pot is split equally between them. Suits don’t determine the winner.
Once the pot has been awarded, the next hand begins.
Basic 2-7 Single Draw Strategy
In 2-7 Single Draw, hands that are strong in traditional poker games can be weak. Pairs, three of a kind, straights and flushes all work against you, while Aces are always high.
For unpaired hands, the highest card is the first point of comparison. For example, 9-6-5-3-2 beats 10-9-6-3-2 because the Nine-high hand is lower than the Ten-high hand.
Aces are also worth treating with caution. A hand of J-9-7-3-2 beats A-9-7-3-2 because a Jack is lower than an Ace.
The ideal hand is 7-5-4-3-2, with all cards of different suits. It avoids pairs, keeps the highest card low and doesn’t form a straight or flush.
With only one draw available, think carefully before discarding. Consider which cards are helping your hand, which are holding it back and whether exchanging them gives you a better chance of winning.
Learn to Play 2-7 Single Draw for Free at PokerStars on Betfair
New to 2-7 Single Draw? Practising at free poker tables is a useful way to learn the rules, get familiar with the hand rankings and understand how the draw works before playing for real money.
Take your time, experiment with different starting hands and learn which combinations give you the best chance of success.
Real Money Play & More Poker Games
Enjoy draw poker? There are plenty of other variants to try.
- 2-7 Triple Draw: three opportunities to draw and improve your hand.
- Five Card Draw: a classic poker game where the strongest five-card hand wins.
- Badugi: a lowball variant where the goal is to make a low hand with four different ranks and suits.
- Texas Hold’em: the popular community-card game that combines strategy, hand selection and betting.
Explore our Poker Games guide to discover more variants, learn the rules and find your next challenge.
As well as 2-7 Single Draw, we also offer many other poker variants. See our Poker Games page to learn more.