Poker Variants: Low Poker

In Low Poker, also known as Lowball, the ranking of poker hands is approximately reversed, so that the lowest poker hand wins. For a fuller explanation see Hand Ranking in Low Poker. These variants have been somewhat neglected by poker authors and have had little publicity, though they are highly rated by their devotees. One game of this sort that has had some recent success is Badugi, which is unusual in that it uses four-card rather than five-card hands with its own distinctive ranking system. There are also hi-lo poker variants in which either the highest or the lowest hand can win.

The index below includes both traditional low poker variants and invented variants (listed in italics). The game types column shows other categories to which some games also belong. See also the full index of poker variants, which includes an explanation of the categories.