A-5 TRIPLE DRAW

Overview

A-5 Triple Draw is a lowball draw poker game where the lowest hand wins and players get three chances to improve their hand through the draw. With four betting rounds and three draws, there is more action and more information to work with than Single Draw.

Number of Players

2–6 players. A standard 52-card deck is used.

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."

Blinds

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

The Deal

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

Betting & Draw Structure

The hand proceeds in alternating betting and draw rounds:

1. Bet #1: After receiving your 5 cards
2. Draw #1: Discard any cards and draw replacements
3. Bet #2: After the first draw
4. Draw #2: Discard and draw again
5. Bet #3: After the second draw
6. Draw #3: Final discard and draw
7. Bet #4: Final betting round
8. Showdown: Lowest hand wins

The Draws

On each draw, players may discard 0–5 cards and receive the same number of replacements. Keeping all 5 cards (standing pat) signals a very strong hand — opponents will notice.

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)
• 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)

Triple Draw vs. Single Draw

• Weaker starting hands are more viable — you have three chances to improve
• A 3-card draw on round 1 is not necessarily fatal
• By Draw #3, you should be drawing 0 or 1 card — drawing more signals trouble
• Standing pat early (Draw #1 or #2) is a powerful bluff or value play
• Pay close attention to how many cards opponents draw each round

Strategy Tips

• Draw to 4-card low hands whenever possible — keep any four cards 8 or below
• By Draw #3, stand pat on any 8-low or better
• If an opponent stands pat on Draw #1, they likely have a very strong hand
• Bet and raise aggressively when you improve to a strong low — you have position information from draw counts
• Avoid chasing hands with pairs — they are nearly impossible to fix in three draws

Example Hand

You hold . You draw 2 and get . You draw 1 and get . Finally you draw 1 and get — The Wheel!