Appendix A: Lowball Scales

"What beats what" is well defined (specifically, in another appendix, but "low" has a few different interpretations. Deuce-to-seven low is the clearest inversion of poker hand order, but in California, lowball was almost always played with a variant called ace-to-five. Rarely, a third order known as "ace-to-six" was used as well (as seen in the climax of the Robert Altman film California Split).

In recent years, another variant called Badugi has become popular, which seems still less related to classic poker hand order.

Badugi

In this game, a badugi is defined as a four-card hand that contains no pairs and no repeated suits (i.e. “rainbow”). The best hand in most badugi games is 432A rainbow. In badeucy, which is a split-pot game based on badugi and deuce-to-seven triple draw, the game is modified so that 5432 rainbow is the best badugi, in order to make a "nut-nut” hand possible in that game.

The weakest badugi hand is KQJT rainbow. It would beat any non-badugi hand. If no one makes a badugi, the best three card hand wins. The best three-card is 32A rainbow. If two players have the same three-card, the fourth card is NOT used. For instance, if Player A has 7♠ 3♠ 2♥ A♦ and Player B has 3♣ 3♦ 2♠ A♥, they would split the pot with 32A. If Player A has 7♠ 4♣ 2♥ 2♦, they have 742 and beat Player B with 7♦ 5♣ A♥ A♦, which is a 75A. If no one has a three-card hand, then best two-card hand is used, and so on.

California Lowball, aka Ace-to-Five or A-5

In California Lowball, 5432A is the best hand, often called the “wheel”. Aces count low, straights and flushes DO NOT count against for evaluation of the best lowball hand. Think of your hand as a five-digit number with the Ace being a one. If all players at showdown are paired, the lowest pair would win. For example, AA765 would beat 22543. If players have the same pair, then the lowest remaining part of the hand would win. So AA654 would beat AA732.

If the joker/bug is being used, it is used as the lowest card that does not pair any other card held. If you held 653A-Joker, you would use the Joker as a deuce and your hand would be 6532A.

This scale is used in California Lowball, Badacey, Hold’em High/Low Eight-orBetter, Omaha Eight-or-Better, Binglaha, Oklahoma, 2 or 5 Omaha Eight-or Better, 4 Card Chowaha Eight-or-Better, Razz, Razzdugi, Stud Eight-or-Better, and Stud High/Low No Qualifier.

In most split pot games played with the California Lowball scale, an Eight-orBetter is needed to qualify for the low hand. If no player has an Eight-or-Better, then the high hand will scoop the pot. The worst lowball hand that will qualify in Eight-or-Better is 87654.

California Lowball, Badacey, Razz, Razzdugi, and Stud High/Low No Qualifier do not use Eight-or-Better in evaluation of the low hand. California Lowball traditionally uses the “Sevens Rule” (see Appendix B) with no check and raise allowed.

Kansas City Lowball, a.k.a. Deuce-to-Seven or 2-7

In Kansas City Lowball, 75432 (not single suited) is the best hand, also often called the “wheel”. Aces count high, straights and flushes DO count against for evaluation of the best lowball hand. Again, think of your hand as a five-digit number, but the Ace is no longer a one and straights/flushes are bad.

Note that A5432 is NOT a straight in deuce-to-seven. It is a perfect Ace high (see Section A.4) and would beat all other ace-low hands and any paired hand.

Again, if all players at showdown are paired, the lowest pair would win. But 22543 would beat AA765, as 22 is the lowest pair and AA the highest pair. If somehow all players remaining have a straight, the lowest straight wins. 76543 would beat 87654. Similarly, if all players remaining have a flush, the lowest flush wins. 86543 flush would beat 95432 flush. The joker/bug is rarely used; if it is used, it is used as the lowest card that makes a low hand. For example, if you held 6543-Joker, you would use the Joker as an eight and your hand would be 86543. You would not use the Joker as either a deuce or seven because in this case, either of those ranks would make a straight.

This scale is used in Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, Badeucy, and Deuce-to-Seven Razz. Check and raise is allowed and no analog of the “Sevens Rule” exists.

Another common game with this scale is No Limit Deuce-to-Seven Lowball, played with a single draw. Traditionally, players must enter the pot for at least a minimum raise in this game (i.e. no limping is allowed).

London Lowball, aka Ace-to-Six or A-6

This variation is seldom seem in games played in American casinos. It is similar to California Lowball in that the Ace is low, but unlike California Lowball and similar to Kansas City Lowball in that straights and flushes count against you. The best hand is 6432A (not single suited).

Probably the most common game that uses it is called “London Lowball”, which is razz played with the Ace-to-Six scale and usually played pot limit rather than fixed limit. This version made its BARGE debut in 2018.

Smooth Hands/Rough Hands/Perfect Hands

You will often hear words such as smooth, rough, or perfect used in describing a lowball hand. Let’s consider California lowball as an example. A smooth seven would be a seven-high hand that is one of the lowest sevens, for example 7543A. The “smoothest” seven is called a perfect seven, which would be 7432A. Conversely, a rough hand is one of the highest sevens, such as 76432. The “roughest” seven would be 76543.

Here’s a Kansas City lowball example: 85432 is the perfect eight. 86432 would be described as a smooth eight, and sometimes even a hand like 87432 would be described as a smooth eight-seven. A hand like 87642 is a rough eight. Note that 87654 is not a rough eight, but a straight that would be an extremely poor hand! It is up to debate at what point a hand is no longer smooth but is now rough.

"Number" of Lowball Hands

In lowball, it is traditional to speak of strong hands as “Number #x”. For example, if a player announces their hand as “Number #4” (i.e. the fourth best possible hand), in California Lowball they would have 6542A, and in Kansas City Lowball 76542. Of course, in the table below the hand cannot be single-suited (a flush) to qualify in either Deuce-to-Seven or Ace-to-Six. Notice the Ace-to-Six hands are obtained merely by subtracting one from each “digit” of the corresponding Deuce-to-Seven hand.

Notice in Ace-to-Five there is one five (the wheel or nuts), 5 sixes, and 15 sevens, for a total of 21 hands that are a seven-or-better (i.e. where the “Sevens Rule” would apply). There are 35 eights, so a total of 56 hands that are Eight-or-Better. In Deuce-to-Seven, there are four sevens, 14 eights, and 34 nines, for a total of 52 hands that are nine-or-better. Number #53 is the perfect ten, in case Bill Chen quizzes you. The same is true in Ace-to-Six; again, merely subtract one from each of these ranks.