Ace-To-Five Triple Draw: Playing Before The First Draw

As discussed last issue, Ace-to-Five Triple Draw Lowball (A-5) is a seemingly simple form of poker where the best hand is A-2-3-4-5 and neither straights nor flushes count against you. Essentially it is the same game as Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball (Deuce or 2-7), but with different hand rankings:

Sevens probably don’t get as much respect as they deserve. As you can see from the chart, making a seven low in A-5 is almost equivalent to making a pat eight in 2-7.

Yet, some players never keep a seven heading into the first draw as they want to preserve their ability to make a six low or better. While there is merit in drawing to stronger hands in multi-way pots, we are almost always better off keeping the seven in heads-up affairs.

Suppose the action folds to us on the button and we open for a raise with A-2-7-X-X. If the big blind defends, I’m taking two on the first draw regardless of my blockers and how many cards my opponent desires. Some players don’t consider an A-2-7 to be a legitimate hand and are always playing it as an A-2, but that might be suboptimal.

In A-5, an A-2-7 can build a holding that is relatively as strong as 8-6-5-3-2 in 2-7, more than enough hand to drag a heads-up pot.

Starting with an A-2-7 is somewhat comparable to a 2-6-8 in 2-7. In Deuce, the 2-6-8 can make the sixth (8-6-4-3-2), seventh (8-6-5-3-2), eighth (8-6-5-4-2), and 14th (8-7-6-3-2) strongest hands in the game. Meanwhile in A-5, an A-2-7 has the potential to build the seventh (7-4-3-2-A), eighth (7-5-3-2-A), ninth (7-5-4-2-A), 12th (7-6-3-2-A), and 13th (7-6-4-2-A) best hands.

It’s not easy to make a six or better low, and the fewer cards we draw has the effect of reducing our opponent’s realization of equity, while simultaneously increasing our own.

For example, if on the first draw we improve to A-2-5-7-X, our opponent will often fold the turn, unless he has picked up at least a one-card draw to an eight low or better.

Some players require better than this in order to continue, and may even fold a one-card draw to a rough seven. After all, it is a relatively small pot and they might be wary of drawing dead. The times we both improve to a one-card draw we might get a free turn street as opposed to facing a bet with an unimproved two-card draw, and possibly having to fold.

Given the nature of the game, we can open slightly more hands per position in A-5 than we can in Deuce. While the ace is the most important card to be dealt in A-5, it’s not nearly as important as the deuce is in 2-7. Also, since straights ruin your hand, the equities in A-5 run closer.

We shouldn’t take it too far as there is still a price to be paid for playing inferior rough hands (e.g. 2-5-6 and 3-4-6) from out-of-position and in multi-way pots. Under the gun in a six-handed game, my weakest two-card draw opens are probably 3-4-5 and A-4-6, and in some lineups may only play them with a blocker or two. From the hijack, this can expand slightly to include 2-3-6 and A-5-6.

From the cutoff we can play substantially more hands and from that position 3-5-6 and A-4-7 (or better) are my typical requirements. Once we reach the button, hands such as 4-5-6, A-5-7, and 3-5-7 would be close to the bottom of the range, along with three-card draws such as A-2, A-3, 2-3, and A-4.

Hands that are on the border always have the ability to graduate to an earlier open when accompanied with blockers.

For example, we can probably open-raise A-A-5-5-6 from first position in a seven-handed game. Or it may mean playing A-A-3 from the cutoff. Many players would play A-3 from the cutoff without blockers, and they might be correct to do so, especially with tight players left to act.

None of this is an exact science, and as with all unsolved mixed-game opens, these guidelines are simply an educated guess. A higher percentage of holdings are playable in a one-winner game, and slightly more hands should be playable in A-5 than in Deuce. The openings discussed above were crafted to reflect those considerations.

As in all forms of poker, we have to tighten up our requirements when the pot has been raised. For example, if there’s an early position open we should often fold mediocre hands such as 3-4-5, particularly with many players left to act behind us.

Any one-card draw that we choose to play should be three-bet, as not to divulge any information regarding our holding.

For example, suppose the button opens and we are in the small blind holding 3-5-6-7. In this particular situation, re-raising, initially drawing one, and then potentially turning our hand into a snow is probably superior to any other option.

Ace-to-Five Triple Draw Lowball is one of my favorite games. Consistently running good in it sure helps, but it’s also my belief that many players haven’t thought that much about it specifically and thus often fail to make the proper adjustments. ♠

Kevin Haney is a former actuary but left the corporate job to focus on his passions for poker and fitness. The certified personal trainer owned a gym in New Jersey, but has since moved to Las Vegas. He started playing the game back in 2003, and particularly enjoys taking new players interested in mixed games under his wing and quickly making them proficient in all variants. Learn more or just say hello with an email to [email protected].