Poker Rules for Beginners

For an enjoyable change to your traditional poker game, try out Ace-to-Five Lowball, where the lowest five-card hand takes the pot. All the poker rules are available here

Ace-to-Five Lowball or “California Lowball” is an enjoyable variation of draw poker, whereby the aim is to obtain the lowest five-card hand in order to win the pot. Below you will find a general outline of the game’s structure, as well as a summary of all the relevant rules. Enjoy your game!

Ace-to-Five Lowball Game Structure:
1. Players ante up. Be aware that sometimes antes are not used in Ace-to-Five Lowball as it is an optional poker rule.
2. Blinds are placed.
3. Each player receives five down cards.
4. The first round of betting takes place – beginning with the player to the left of the big blind, players must either bet, fold, call or raise.
5. The draw takes place – beginning with the small blind, players can replace up to all five of their cards in order to improve their hand.
6. The second round of betting takes place as in the first.
7. A second draw takes place.
8. The third round of betting takes place as before.
9. A third and final draw takes place.
10. The showdown takes place, where the player with the lowest ranking five-card hand takes the pot.

Ace-to-Five Lowball Poker Rules:
- Since Ace-to-Five Lowball is a low ranking poker game, the best possible hand that a player can obtain is A-2-3-4-5 (otherwise known as a “wheel”). The second best hand is a 6-4-3-2-A, then a 6-5-3-2-A, and so on.
- Straights and flushes do not count in Ace-to-Five Lowball poker.
- Aces are always considered low.
- Jokers are used in Ace-to-Five Lowball, and count as the lowest possible card in a hand not including those already present. Jokers will always be used unless stated otherwise.
- Suit has no influence on the strength of a hand in Ace-to-Five Lowball.
- Antes and blinds are optional rules.
- Check-raise is not allowed in limit play Ace-to-Five Lowball, unless stated otherwise.
- After the draw Ace-to-Five Lowball has a limit double when playing in limit form.
- If there are 2 winners, then the pot is split evenly between them.
- The small blind is equal to half of the lower limit, and the big blind is equal to exactly the lower limit. The blinds are used in order to help build up the pot (as are antes).