Hi Lo Poker Hand Values

In several versions of poker, the pot is split between the player with the highest hand at the showdown, and the player with the lowest qualifying hand at the showdown. These games are sometimes referred to as "Hi Lo" or "8 or Better" versions of the game.

Many poker rooms deal Omaha Hi-Lo or even 7 Stud 8 or Better. The 8 or Better comes from the qualifier of the low hand. All the cards used to make the low hand must be 8 or less in rank. Flushes and Straights are ignored. Aces count as "ones" and are considered low.

When determining the lowest hand at the table, you start with the highest card and compare those. A hand of 7,6,5,4,3 is lower than 8,4,3,2,A. If the highest cards are the same, you move to the next highest card and compare those. The hand of 7,5,4,3,2 is lower than 7,6,3,2,A.

The Quick Rule

Read the cards as though they were a 5 digit number. Lowest number wins.

Examples:

> At the showdown, 6, 5, 4, 3, Ace is a lower hand than 7, 4, 3, 2, Ace.

> 7, 4, 3, 2, Ace is Higher than 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, even though the first hand has an Ace in it.

Deuce to Seven - Lowball

In this form of draw poker, flushes and straights DO count against you. And Aces count as "high". In these games, like Deuce to Seven, A,2,3,4,5 is a bad hand since straights count against you and you are trying for lowest hand at the table. Instead, 2,3,4,5,7 (non-flush) is the best possible hand. Deuce to Seven is dealt online at Ultimate Bet Poker.

Ace to Five - Lowball

Unlike Deuce to Seven, in Ace to Five draw poker the Ace counts as low and straights and flushes are not counted against you. This makes the best hand A,2,3,4,5. Ace to Five is also dealt online at Ultimate Bet

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