A-5 SINGLE DRAW

Overview

A-5 Single Draw (also called California Lowball) is a draw poker game where the lowest hand wins. Aces are always low, straights and flushes don't count against you, and a Joker — the "Bug" — is added to the deck as a wild card that becomes the lowest card you need.

Number of Players

2–8 players. A 53-card deck is used — the standard 52-card deck plus the Bug (Joker).

The Object

Make the lowest possible 5-card hand. Aces are always low. The best hand is A-2-3-4-5, known as "The Wheel" or "The Bicycle."

The Bug (Wild Joker)

One Joker — the "Bug" — is added to the deck. In A-5 lowball, the Bug acts as the lowest card not already in your hand:

• A 2 3 4 + Bug → Bug = 5 → The Wheel!
• A 2 4 5 + Bug → Bug = 3 → The Wheel!
• 2 3 4 5 + Bug → Bug = A → The Wheel!
• A 2 3 7 + Bug → Bug = 4 → 7-high (A-2-3-4-7)

Blinds

A-5 Single Draw uses a small blind and big blind, posted before the deal — just like Texas Hold'em.

Raise to Open

The Deal

Each player receives 5 cards face-down. Players look at their own cards only.

Betting Rounds

1. Pre-draw: After receiving 5 cards, a betting round begins left of the big blind
2. Post-draw: After the draw phase, a final betting round takes place
3. Showdown: Remaining players reveal hands; the lowest hand wins the pot

The Draw

Starting left of the dealer, each player may discard any number of cards (0–5) and receive the same number of replacements from the deck. Keeping all 5 cards is called standing pat and signals a very strong hand.

Comparing Low Hands

To compare hands, start from the highest card — lower is always better:

• A-2-3-4-5 (5-high) beats A-2-3-4-6 (6-high) beats A-2-3-4-7 (7-high)
• A-2-3-4-7 beats A-2-3-5-7 (both 7-high, but 5 is worse than 4 as the second card)
• Any unpaired 5-card hand beats any hand with a pair
• Among paired hands, the lower pair wins (A-A beats K-K in lowball)

Strategy Tips

• Draw to 4-card low hands — if you hold four cards 8 or below, draw one
• Stand pat with 7-low or better (e.g., A-2-3-5-7)
• Drawing 3 or more cards signals weakness — opponents will notice and bet
• The Bug is a massive advantage; play it confidently and aggressively
• Avoid drawing to paired hands — pairs are hard to turn into low hands
• Count exposed low cards; if opponents drew few cards, they may have a strong low

Example Hand

You hold . You discard the J♠ and draw — The Wheel! Your opponent drew 2 cards and made a 9-high. A-2-3-4-5 beats 9-high easily. You win the pot.