2-7 Single Draw Rules
2-7 Single Draw — also known as Kansas City Lowball — is a five-card draw lowball game with just one draw, classically played No-Limit. The goal is the lowest hand under deuce-to-seven rules: aces always play high, and straights and flushes count against you. The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of at least two suits, known as the wheel or "number one."
The objective
You want the lowest five-card hand at the table under deuce-to-seven ranking. Because you only draw once, much of the game is choosing which hands to play, deciding whether to stand pat on a made low, and reading how strong an opponent’s single draw is likely to be.
How 2-7 hands are ranked
The wheel — 7-5-4-3-2 (best)
The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of at least two suits — low, unpaired, not a straight and not a flush. It is called the wheel or "number one." A 7-6-5-4-3 is a lower-looking sequence but is worse, because comparing from the top down its second card, the six, is higher than the five in 7-5-4-3-2.
Aces are high — a bad card
An ace is always the highest card in deuce-to-seven, so it hurts a low. A hand like 6-4-3-2-A looks tempting but is actually ace-high, which makes it worse than many seven- and eight-high hands. Keep aces out of your low.
Straights and flushes count against you
A made straight or flush is a strong high hand — and in lowball that ruins it. 7-6-5-4-3 all of one suit is a flush; 6-5-4-3-2 is a straight. Both are wrecked. You want low cards that are neither connected into a straight nor all the same suit.
To compare two lows, line up each hand from its highest card down and the lower one wins. Because aces are high and straights and flushes are penalized, the unbeatable hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of mixed suits.
How a hand plays out
2-7 Single Draw uses a single-draw format, classically with No-Limit betting: post blinds, deal five cards face down, then a betting round. A single draw follows, in which each player discards from zero to five cards for replacements or stands pat, and then a final betting round leads to showdown. With only one draw, the choice to stand pat versus draw one is the pivotal decision of the hand.
Single Draw vs. Triple Draw
Do not confuse this game with 2-7 Triple Draw. Triple Draw uses the same deuce-to-seven ranking but gives three draws and is usually played fixed-limit. Single Draw gives one draw and is classically No-Limit, which makes the pre-draw read and the pat-or-draw decision far more decisive.
A worked example
Two players reach showdown after the draw. Alice shows 7♠ 5♥ 4♣ 3♦ 2♠. Bob shows 8♣ 6♦ 4♠ 3♥ 2♦.
Alice holds 7-5-4-3-2 of mixed suits — no pair, no straight, no flush. That is the wheel, the best hand in deuce-to-seven.
Bob holds 8-6-4-3-2 of mixed suits, a strong low in its own right, but its highest card is an eight.
Reading from the top down, Alice’s seven beats Bob’s eight, so Alice wins. Her wheel is unbeatable regardless of what Bob holds below his top card.
Where you’ll find it
Kansas City Lowball is a classic mixed-game staple: it appears in high-stakes mixed rotations, in dealer’s-choice home games, and as its own No-Limit event on the tournament calendar. If you already know draw poker, the leap is small — the mechanics are ordinary five-card draw, and the only thing to relearn is the deuce-to-seven ranking. Start by memorizing that aces are high and that straights and flushes are penalties, and the rest follows quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What is 2-7 Single Draw?
2-7 Single Draw, also called Kansas City Lowball, is a five-card draw lowball game with a single draw. Each player gets one chance to swap cards. The lowest hand wins under deuce-to-seven rules, where aces are high and straights and flushes count against you.
Why is A-2-3-4-5 not the best low here?
Because in deuce-to-seven, aces always play high and straights count as a made hand. A-2-3-4-5 is both an ace-high holding and a straight, which makes it a very poor low. The best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2 with at least two suits, sometimes called the wheel or number one.
How is 2-7 Single Draw different from Triple Draw?
2-7 Single Draw has one draw and is classically played No-Limit. 2-7 Triple Draw has three draws and is usually fixed-limit. The single-draw format gives you only one shot to improve, so starting-hand selection and the decision to stand pat carry a lot of weight.
Do straights and flushes hurt my hand?
Yes. Unlike ace-to-five lowball, deuce-to-seven counts straights and flushes as made high hands, so they ruin a low. A holding like 7-6-5-4-3 of one suit is a flush and plays terribly; you want low, unconnected, mixed-suit cards.
What is the best starting hand?
A pat 7-5-4-3-2 of at least two suits is the strongest possible start — a complete number-one hand that needs no draw. Failing that, four low, unpaired, unsuited cards headed by a seven or eight that let you draw one card to a strong 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.