Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-907 · Updated 28 September 2026

Related game · Not poker

Seven Twenty-Seven Rules

In Seven Twenty-Seven (7-27), players count the points in their cards rather than making poker hands. After a two-card deal, players take turns asking for extra cards, with a betting round after each chance to draw. At the showdown, the hand nearest to 7 points and the hand nearest to 27 points each take half the pot.

Also known as 7-27, 7/27, Seven-Twenty-Seven

Players: 4 to 10
Deck: Standard 52 cards
Card values: 2 to 10 at face value; J, Q, K ½; ace 1 or 11
Pot: Split: nearest 7 and nearest 27

Article 1Players, deck and card values

1.1

Seven Twenty-Seven is a split-pot betting game played in poker groups. It is not poker: hands are valued by their point total, not by the poker hand rankings. The rules here are based on the contributions of P. J. Ackerson and Bill Maher, as published on pagat.com.

1.2

Four to ten players may take part, using a standard 52-card deck.

1.3

Cards count as follows:

Card	Points
2 to 10	Face value
Jack, queen, king	½ point each
Ace	1 or 11, at the holder's choice

1.4

A player may count the same ace as 1 for the purpose of making 7 and as 11 for the purpose of making 27. A hand may therefore score differently for each half of the pot.

1.5

The object is to finish with the total nearest to 7, the total nearest to 27, or both.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Before play, the players agree the ante and the betting limits. Each player puts the ante into the pot.

2.2

The dealer deals each player one card face up and one card face down. Players may look at their own face-down card.

2.3

Some groups deal two cards face down and one face up instead. The dealer shall announce the deal before play.

Article 3Drawing and betting

3.1

Beginning with the player to the dealer's left and going clockwise, each player may ask for one extra card or decline. Under the standard rules extra cards are dealt face down; some groups deal them face up.

3.2

A betting round follows. The player to the dealer's left may check or bet within the agreed limits, and each player in turn may then fold, call or raise. The round ends when all remaining players have put in equal amounts.

3.3

Each remaining player is then again offered one extra card, in the same order, followed by another betting round. A player who declined a card earlier may still take one later.

3.4

The cycle of drawing and betting continues until a round in which no player takes a card. The showdown follows.

Stage	What happens
Deal	One card up and one down to each player
First draw	Each player may take one card
Betting round	Starts with the player to the dealer's left
Further draws and bets	Repeated while anyone takes a card
Showdown	When a full round passes with no cards taken

Article 4Showdown and splitting the pot

4.1

All players who have not folded reveal their hands.

4.2

Half of the pot goes to the player whose total is nearest to 7, and half to the player whose total is nearest to 27. One player may win both halves.

4.3

Under the standard rules there is no bust: a total above the target counts by its distance from it, just as a total below does. Some groups play that going over is bust (see article 5).

4.4

Players who tie for either half share that half equally. For example, if two players both have 6½ and are nearest to 7, each takes a quarter of the pot.

Example

The perfect hand

A player holds 5♠A♦A♣.

Counting both aces as 1 gives 5 + 1 + 1 = 7. Counting both aces as 11 gives 5 + 11 + 11 = 27. The hand is exactly 7 and exactly 27 at once.

Example

A three-way showdown

The pot is 40. Player A holds 2♠Q♥4♦: 2 + ½ + 4 = 6½. Player B holds 10♣9♦8♠: exactly 27. Player C holds A♥6♠: 7 with the ace as 1, or 17 with it as 11.

C's 7 is nearest to 7, so C takes 20. B's 27 is nearest to 27, so B takes 20. A wins nothing.

Article 5Common variations

Over is bust. A total must not exceed the target to win it. A player who goes over 27 must fold at once; a player over 7 can still play for 27.
Declaration. Before the showdown, players declare for 7, 27 or both, as in high-low poker. A player who declares both must win both halves or wins nothing.
Exact 7 and 27. A hand totalling exactly 7 and exactly 27 takes the whole pot, even if another hand ties it for one half.
Picture cards. Jacks, queens and kings may count as ½ or 10, at each player's choice.
Freezing. A player who declines a card on a set number of consecutive turns may not draw again. Pagat gives two turns; the onlinepoker.net write-up uses three.
Fewer cards. Between equal totals, the hand with fewer cards wins.
Rotating first bet. The first player to bet moves one seat left after each betting round. Some groups let the player with the best exposed total bet first.

The dealer shall announce which variations apply before the deal. For other split-pot games, see Stud Hi-Lo.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

What is the best hand in 7-27?

A five with two aces. Counting the aces as 1 gives exactly 7, and counting them as 11 gives exactly 27, so the hand competes for both halves of the pot.

How much are face cards worth in 7-27?

Jacks, queens and kings are worth half a point each. Some groups let players count them as either half a point or 10.

Can you go over 27 in Seven Twenty-Seven?

Under the standard rules, the winner is simply the hand nearest to 27, above or below. Some groups play that going over 27 is bust, and a player who goes over must fold.

Can an ace count as both 1 and 11 in 7-27?

Yes. The same ace may count as 1 when your hand is valued for 7 and as 11 when it is valued for 27.

Final authority

Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.

Hand rankings, high to low: royal flush · straight flush · four of a kind · full house · flush · straight · three of a kind · two pair · one pair · high card. Suits never break ties.

Seven Twenty-Seven Rules · OPR-907 · officialpokerrules.com/seven-twenty-seven/

OPR-907Uncontrolled when printed