2-7 Triple Draw: Learn Rules, Gameplay & Useful Strategies

2-7 Triple Draw is a game usually played by the pros, known as a mixed game. The lowball draw version of poker was popularized by poker superstars, who play it every year at the WSOP. 

If you have never played 2-7 Triple Draw before, we will teach you everything you need to know. Keep reading to learn the 2-7 Triple Draw rules, hand rankings, and some basic 2 7 Triple Draw strategy to get you started. 

What is 2-7 Triple Draw Poker?

2-7 Triple Draw poker is a lowball draw poker variation where players aim to make the “worst” poker hand. The game is a variation of the popular 5 Card Draw, a poker game that used to be popular in the 50s and 60s. 2-7 Triple Draw was played as far back as the 1973 WSOP, indicating its longevity in the poker circles. 

In Deuce to Seven poker, the Ace is considered to be a high card, and the deuce is the lowest. With the absolute nut low being 7-5-4-3-2, the game was aptly named Deuce to Seven or 2-7 Triple Draw poker. 

Like most other mixed games, 2 to 7 Triple Draw is most commonly played in live poker settings. The game is a part of popular mixed game formats such as 8-Game and 10-Game, with standalone tournaments at the WSOP as well. You won’t find too many opportunities to play 2-7 Triple Draw online. If you prefer playing real money online poker, you can enjoy other poker games like NLH, PLO, and PLO5 at CoinPoker. 

How is 2-7 Triple Draw Different from Texas Hold’em?

There are a few major differences that players coming from Texas Hold’em have to be aware of. 

1. First of all, 2-7 Triple Draw is a draw poker game. This means each player receives five hole cards, and there are no community cards in play. 
2. 2-7 Triple Draw poker is a lowball game, which means your goal is to make a low hand. Hands like straights, flushes, and full houses are no good here. Instead, you want to have five low cards that don’t make up a straight to win big. 
3. 2-7 Triple Draw is typically played with a limit betting format. After each of the three draws, players get to bet on their hands, but only bets of a limited size are possible. A different version of the game features a single draw and no limit betting. 

How to Play 2-7 Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw rules differ from Texas Hold’em rules quite a bit. If you are new to the game, you will have many questions. 

The sections below will go over everything you need to know to play 2 to 7 Triple Draw poker. We will even touch on some basic 2-7 Triple Draw strategy to get you started on the right path. 

2-7 Triple Draw Rules

Before we get into the details, it’s worth going over some basic 2-7 Triple Draw rules. There are several key rules that make this game different from most other poker variations. A few key ones you should remember include:

• 2-7 Triple Draw is played with five hole cards to a player
• Each player gets three opportunities to draw
• The lowest possible hand combination without pairs or straights wins
• Limit betting format is used
• Action is forced by blinds rather than antes
• Players act in the same order as in Texas Hold’em (clockwise around the table)

Keep these basic rules of 2-7 Triple Draw Poker in mind anytime you play the game. Once you master these, you can get into the more specific rules and strategies we will present into the rest of this guide. 

Setting Up a Game of 2-7 Triple Draw

Like most poker games, 2-7 Triple Draw is played with a standard deck made up of 52 cards. This game is always played short-handed, with as many as six players to a table. Playing the game with more players would be very difficult as there would not be enough cards in play for players to complete their draws. 

2-7 Triple Draw is played with a small blind and a big blind, like Texas Hold’em. Before the game starts, the dealer will assign one player to hold the dealer button, and the players to their left will post the blinds. Once this is ready, the dealing can begin. 

Gameplay: A Walkthrough to Betting and Drawing

Once the table is all set up, the dealer will give five hole cards to each player. These cards are dealt face-down and not revealed until the showdown. Players will be given multiple opportunities to draw and bet as follows:

• 1st Betting Round: After the initial cards are dealt, each player gets to act on their hand. Players must at least call the value of the big blind to stay in the hand. All raises are limited by the game limits. 
• 1st Draw: Players who haven’t folded their hands get to discard between one and five cards and draw new cards. Players can also stay pat and keep the cards in their hand. 
• 2nd Betting Round: Following the first draw, players get to act on their hands once more. This time, players can check their option, passing the action to the next player without making a bet. 
• 2nd Draw: The second draw ensues. Once again, active players can draw between one and five new cards or stay pat. 
• 3rd Betting Round: Another betting round comes next, with the action identical to the previous one. 
• Final Draw: Players are given one last opportunity to draw new cards before showdown. 
• Final Betting Round: Players take turns betting their hands one last time.
• Showdown: The remaining players turn over their hands, and the dealer compares them to determine the winner in accordance with the 2-7 Triple Draw hand rankings. 

2-7 Triple Draw Hand Rankings: What Beats What

We’ve already covered some basic hand rankings, but let’s take a closer look. On the surface, 2-7 Poker hand rankings are pretty easy to remember because they are the complete opposite of Texas Hold’em hand rankings. So while the 2-3-4-5-7 sequence would be the worst hand in Hold’em, it is the absolute best hand in 2-7 Triple Draw. Hands like straights, flushes, and full houses have almost no value in this game. 

Here is a look at the 10 best hands in 2-7 Triple Draw:

1. 7-5-4-3-2
2. 7-6-4-3-2
3. 7-6-5-3-2
4. 7-6-5-4-2
5. 8-5-4-3-2
6. 8-6-4-3-2
7. 8-6-5-3-2
8. 8-6-5-4-2
9. 8-6-5-4-3
10. 8-7-4-3-2

Perfect, Smooth, and Rough Hands in 2-7 Triple Draw

Like all poker players, 2-7 Triple Draw players have a lingo of their own. For example, they refer to the best possible hand in the game, 7-5-4-3-2 as “Number One,” while 7-6-4-3-2 is “Number Two.”

For all weaker hands in the game, players use the terms perfect, smooth, and rough to describe the hand. The three terms all convey a meaning immediately to an experienced 2-7 player, so let’s briefly explain each one. 

Perfect Hands

A perfect 2-7 Triple Draw hand is the best possible hand for a particular high card. For example, an Eight Perfect is 8-5-4-3-2, the best possible hand with an 8 as the high card. A Ten Perfect is T-5-4-3-2, the best possible Ten. 

Announcing that you have a Perfect hand will let your opponents know that they lose if they have a weaker version of the hand. Likewise, it will let them know they win if they have a lower high card. For instance, if you announce a Perfect Nine, any player with a weaker 9 loses, while any player with a Rough Eight wins. 

Smooth Hands

Smooth hands are very good in 2 to 7 Triple Draw, but they are not quite perfect. A smooth hand has the perfect bottom three cards, but one card that sticks out from that pattern. For example, an Eighty-Six Smooth refers to 8-6-4-3-2. The bottom three cards are the lowest possible, but having the 6 instead of the 5 makes this a Smooth rather than a Perfect hand. 

When holding a Smooth hand, you should announce your top two cards. If you announce you have an Eighty-Six smooth, a player with an Eighty-Seven will know they are beat, while anyone with a Seven of any sort or the Perfect Eight will know they have the best hand. 

Rough Hands

Finally, we have rough hands. Rough hands are the worst of them all, and they typically represent the worst versions of a particular hand. For example, a Rough Nine looks something like 9-8-7-5-3. This hand loses to any other Nine but beats any Ten or worse. 

Announcing a Rough hand doesn’t exactly describe the hand in full, but is usually enough to inform other players of your holdings. At the end of the day, players are always welcome to turn over their cards and let the dealer compare the hands and announce the winner.

2-7 Triple Draw Strategy to Boost Your Win Rate

Unlike the more popular poker games, 2-7 Triple Draw strategy is a mystery to most players. Let’s take a look at a few basic strategy tips that will take your game to the next level and increase your win rate:

• Break Your Straight Draw: Straights don’t count in 2-7 Triple Draw. If you have a hand like 6-5-4-3, don’t draw to it. If you make a straight, you will have a hand that loses to almost any other hand. 
• Try to Make an Eight: With three drawing opportunities, you can make some solid hands in 2-7 Triple Draw. Always aim for an Eight or better. If your starting hand doesn’t have the potential for an Eight, fold it. 
• Be Mindful of Position: The informational advantage of being in position allows you to bluff and win more pots in 2-7. Be very careful with playing hands from our of position in this game format. 
• Choose Your Hands Carefully: Generally speaking, you should play fairly tight in 2 to 7 Triple Draw. Don’t overplay weak hands just because you can draw three times. 
• Mind Your Bankroll: 2-7 Triple Draw is a very swingy game. Make sure you have enough of a bankroll to sustain the swings and survive the variance. 

Tap Into Online Poker Action Today

While 2-7 Triple Draw is an extremely exciting poker game, it’s not one you can play online in too many places. We highly recommend introducing the game to your friends and playing it on your poker nights, but for online action, it’s best to stick to the classics. 

Sign up with CoinPoker today to gain access to some of the best NLH and PLO online games out there. New players get a $2,000 welcome bonus, regular weekly cashback, and more, so create your account now to access all the perks CoinPoker has in store. 

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