Poker Game Rules: Hi/Lo and 2-7

Hi/Lo (Eight or Better) rules

Hi/Lo games like Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo are split-pot games. Half the pot goes to the best high hand, and the other half goes to the best low hand.

The high hand follows normal poker hand rankings. The low hand must consist of five unpaired cards, all ranked 8 or lower.

Some hands can win on both sides. For example, 5-4-3-2-A is the best low hand, but it's also a straight for the high hand. Winning both halves is called a “scoop".

If no one has a qualifying low hand, the pot doesn’t split. The entire pot goes to the high hand. There’s always a winning high hand because it doesn't have qualification requirements.

2-7 (Deuce to Seven) rules

2-7 is a draw poker game with lowball hand rankings. The goal is to make the worst hand you can. In other words, the worst hand wins!

There are two versions:

• Single Draw: You get one chance to discard or 'stand pat'. Only two betting rounds.
• Triple Draw: You can discard or stand pat up to three times. Four betting rounds total.

2-7 uses different hand rankings than regular poker, so keep these in mind:

• Aces are high and bad for your hand.
• Straights and flushes hurt your hand.
• The best hand you can make is 7-5-4-3-2 (not all the same suit).
• Suits don’t matter when comparing hands.

For the full list of game rules, check out our Poker Games page.