A-5 Triple Draw Rules
A-5 Triple Draw is a five-card draw lowball game with three draws, usually played fixed-limit. It uses ace-to-five ranking: aces are always low, straights and flushes do not count against you, and pairs are bad. The lowest hand wins, and the best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A — the wheel. This is the same low ranking used for the low half of Hi-Lo split games.
The objective
You want the lowest five-card hand at the table under ace-to-five ranking. With three draws to improve, much of the game is drawing smoothly toward the wheel, avoiding pairs, and knowing when a made eight- or seven-low is already good enough to stand pat and bet.
How A-5 hands are ranked
The wheel — 5-4-3-2-A (best)
The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A. Because aces play low and straights do not count against you, this five-high holding is the unbeatable low — even though it would be a straight in high poker. It is called the wheel or the bicycle.
Aces low, straights and flushes ignored
Read an ace-to-five low by treating the ace as the lowest card and simply ignoring any straight or flush. 6-5-4-3-2 is just a six-low; the fact that it is a straight is irrelevant here. This is the opposite of deuce-to-seven, where those things matter.
Pairs are bad
Any pair is a serious flaw. A hand with a pair loses to every hand made of five different ranks. When comparing lows, read from the highest card down and the lower one wins, so 8-6-4-2-A beats 8-7-3-2-A on the second card.
To read any ace-to-five low, ignore suits and sequences, keep aces low, and compare from the top card down. The smoothest, lowest five unpaired cards win, and nothing beats 5-4-3-2-A.
How a hand plays out
A-5 Triple Draw uses the triple-draw format with fixed-limit betting: post blinds, deal five cards face down, then a betting round. A first draw and betting round follow, then a second, then a third, and finally a last betting round before showdown. On each draw you may discard from zero to five cards, or stand pat. Betting limits usually double after the second draw.
A note on California lowball
The traditional California lowball is ace-to-five played as a single draw and often with a joker known as "the bug," which plays as the lowest card not already in your hand. That single-draw joker game is a close cousin, but the main game described here is the modern triple-draw form without a joker.
How A-5 relates to other lowball
A-5 is one of three common lowball systems, so it helps to hold them side by side. In 2-7 Triple Draw the ranking flips: aces are high and straights and flushes count against you, so the best hand there is 7-5-4-3-2, not the wheel. Badugi is a different family again, ranking four-card rainbow hands rather than five-card lows. Learn to switch cleanly between them.
A worked example
Two players reach showdown after the final draw. Alice shows 6♠ 4♥ 3♣ 2♦ A♠. Bob shows 6♦ 5♣ 4♠ 3♥ 2♣.
Alice reads her hand ace-to-five as a six-low: 6-4-3-2-A. Aces are low, so this is a very smooth holding.
Bob also has a six-low, 6-5-4-3-2 — and though it is a straight, straights are ignored in ace-to-five, so it simply counts as six-high.
Both are six-low, so compare the next card down: Alice’s four beats Bob’s five. Alice wins with 6-4-3-2-A.
Tips for beginners
A-5 Triple Draw rewards patience and clean reading. Start from four low unpaired cards and draw toward the wheel; avoid getting attached to a hand that keeps pairing. Because straights and flushes are free, you never have to break a good low to dodge them — the same instinct that helps you read the low half of Hi-Lo split games applies directly here. Above all, confirm the ranking before you play: ace-to-five and deuce-to-seven reward opposite hands, and mixing them up is the most common beginner mistake.
Frequently asked questions
What is A-5 Triple Draw?
A-5 Triple Draw is a five-card draw lowball game with three draws, usually played fixed-limit. It uses ace-to-five ranking: aces are low, straights and flushes do not count against you, and pairs are bad. The lowest hand wins, and the best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, the wheel.
How do I read an ace-to-five low?
Ignore straights and flushes entirely and treat aces as the lowest card. Take your five cards, drop any duplicated ranks in your thinking (pairs only hurt), and read from the highest card down. 8-6-4-2-A is an "eight-low," and it beats 8-7-3-2-A because the second card, the six, is lower than the seven.
How many times can I draw?
Three times. A-5 Triple Draw has four betting rounds separated by three draws: bet, draw, bet, draw, bet, draw, bet, showdown. On each draw you may discard any number of cards for replacements, or stand pat and keep all five.
How is this different from 2-7 lowball?
The ranking is opposite in two ways. In ace-to-five, aces are low and straights and flushes do not count, so 5-4-3-2-A is the best hand. In deuce-to-seven, aces are high and straights and flushes count against you, so the same 5-4-3-2-A is a wheel straight and a poor low. Always confirm which ranking a table uses.
What is the best starting hand?
A pat 5-4-3-2-A — the wheel — is the strongest possible start and needs no draw. Failing that, four low, unpaired cards such as any four of A-2-3-4-5-6-7 that let you draw to a smooth low are what you want to keep.
Related games
Informational only — this guide explains how the game is played and doesn't mean it's offered on Salty Poker.