Game rules · Stud
Five Card Stud Lowball is Five Card Stud played for low: each player gets one card down and four up, and the lowest hand at showdown wins the whole pot. Casino games use ace-to-five ranking, where 5-4-3-2-A is the best hand. Home games often use ace-to-six instead.
Also known as Five Card Stud Low, 5 Card Stud Lowball
The object of the game is to win the pot, either by holding the lowest hand at showdown or by making a bet that no other player calls.
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. Up to ten players may take part.
Each player's hand is exactly the five cards dealt to them.
Except where this page says otherwise, the rules of Five Card Stud apply.
The dealer shall announce the ranking method before the deal.
| Method | Aces | Straights and flushes | Best hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace-to-five | Low | Ignored | 5-4-3-2-A |
| Ace-to-six | Low | Count as high hands | 6-4-3-2-A |
| Deuce-to-seven | High | Count as high hands | 7-5-4-3-2, mixed suits |
Ace-to-five is the usual method in American casinos. Ace-to-six is preferred in many home games. Deuce-to-seven may also be used.
Under every method, an unpaired hand beats any hand with a pair, and hands are compared from the highest card down. See hand rankings.
Every player antes. Each player is dealt one card face down and one face up, clockwise.
Three more cards are dealt face up, one at a time, each followed by a betting round, as in Five Card Stud.
| Betting round | Cards showing | First to act |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1 up | Highest upcard brings in (ace counts low) |
| Second | 2 up | Lowest hand showing |
| Third | 3 up | Lowest hand showing |
| Fourth | 4 up | Lowest hand showing |
Bring-in. In the formal casino version, the player with the highest upcard makes a compulsory bring-in bet to start the first round. For this purpose the ace counts as low, so a king is the highest card.
On every later round, the player with the lowest hand showing acts first.
Because a pair is a poor hand for low, a player showing a pair is not entitled to make a big bet on the second round. The open-pair rule of high Five Card Stud does not apply.
Bet sizes and the number of raises follow the limits agreed for the game, as in Five Card Stud. See also betting structures.
Who brings in
Upcards on the first round: Player A K♣, Player B 4♦, Player C A♠.
The ace counts low, so A's king is the highest upcard and A must bring in. On the next round, the player with the lowest two upcards acts first.
If more than one player remains after the fourth betting round, each turns over their hole card. The lowest hand under the announced ranking method wins the whole pot.
Low hands are compared from the highest card down; the first card that differs decides. Identical hands split the pot.
Ace-to-five showdown
Player A: 3♥ down, 6♣A♦2♠4♥ up: 6-4-3-2-A.
Player B: 5♦ down, 6♠A♣2♦3♣ up: 6-5-3-2-A.
Both are six-lows. The second-highest cards are A's four and B's five, so Player A wins.
The wheel under ace-to-six
Player A holds A♥2♣3♦4♠5♥. Under ace-to-five this is the best possible hand, but under ace-to-six it is a straight and counts as a high hand.
Player B holds K♦9♣7♥4♣2♠, a king-low. Under ace-to-six, any unpaired non-straight, non-flush hand beats a straight, so Player B wins.
Under ace-to-five ranking, 5-4-3-2-A. Under ace-to-six it is 6-4-3-2-A, and under deuce-to-seven it is 7-5-4-3-2 in mixed suits.
The player with the highest upcard, with the ace counting low. So a king is the highest card for the bring-in.
The player with the lowest hand showing.
No. A pair is a weak hand for low, so the open-pair option of high Five Card Stud does not apply.
Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.
Five Card Stud Lowball Rules · OPR-208 · officialpokerrules.com/five-card-stud-lowball/