Some forms of poker, often called lowball, sometimes called "low poker," reward poor poker hands (in the traditional sense). There are three common variations on this idea, differing in whether aces are treated as high cards or low cards, and whether or not straights and flushes are used. The methods are: The poker room at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ. Poker is a card game, the most popular of a class of games called vying games, in which players with fully or partially concealed cards make wagers into a central pot, after which the pot is awarded to the... The word Lowball has several senses: A poker variant in which traditional hand values are reversed so that the lowest-valued hand wins. ... A straight is a poker hand such as Q♣ J♠ 10♠ 9♥ 8♥, which contains five cards of sequential rank, of varying suits. ... A flush is a poker hand such as Q♣ 10♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♣, which contains five cards of the same suit, not in rank sequence. ...

• Ace-to-five low: The most common method. Aces are low and straights and flushes are ignored, so the best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A, called a wheel.
• Ace-to-six low: Aces are low and straights and flushes do count (as high), so the best possible hand is 6-4-3-2-A.
• Deuce-to-seven low: Almost the direct inverse of traditional high hand poker. Aces are high and straights and flushes do count, so the best possible hand is 7-5-4-3-2. Since aces are high, A-5-4-3-2 is not a straight, but just ace-high no pair.

Some games are played high-low split, where the player with the best traditional poker hand (called the high hand) splits the pot with the best low hand. The low hand is decided by one of the methods above. According to Morehead, Official Rules of Card Games, the low hand in high-low is generally the deuce-to-seven low, although many on-line casinos use ace-to-five low, with a qualifier, e.g., no card higher than an 8. Low hands tie more frequently than high hands, especially in community card games, so it is not uncommon for such a hand to win a small fraction of a poker pot. For example, if one player has the high hand on showdown, and two other players tie for the best low hand, the high hand wins half of the pot and each low hand wins only a quarter of the pot. Playing ace-to-five high-low greatly increases the chances of the "scoop"--winning both hands--because a flush or straight counts high, but by rule, does not count low. See Rule variations (poker) Ace-to-five low is the most common method for evaluating low hands in poker, nearly universal in American casinos, especially in high-low split games. ... A wheel or bicycle is the poker hand 5-4-3-2-A, regardless of suit, which is a five-high straight, the lowest-ranking of the straights. ... Ace-to-six low is a method for evaluating low hands in poker. ... Deuce-to-seven low is a method for evaluating low hands in poker. ... The poker term high hand means simply the best poker hand, using traditional poker hand rankings. ... For methods of splitting a pot, see Splitting poker pots. ... The poker term high hand means simply the best poker hand, using traditional poker hand rankings. ... In poker, a card dealt face-up to the table (not to any one player) that is shared by more than one player is called a community card or shared card or widow card. ... In all poker games, if more than one player remains after the last betting round, all of the players expose and compare their hands to determine the winner or winners. ... Rule variations in poker. ...