Draw Down
To draw down is to draw several cards in lowball so as to aim at the best possible hand.
The simple explanation
In lowball, you can draw fewer cards to a poorer hand or draw more cards to a better one. Drawing down means throwing away more cards, often two, to aim for a better low. For example, from K-8-6-4-2 you could keep the 8 and draw one, or throw both the king and the 8 to draw down to the 6.
A closer look
The choice depends on what the opponent is showing. If the other player stands pat, they claim a made hand, and drawing one card to a weak hand is a waste. Drawing down gives you a chance at a stronger hand at the cost of a lower chance of improving. A lowball player might say 'when he stood pat, I figured I better draw down'.
A practical example
In lowball a player holds K-8-6-4-2. The opponent stands pat, so the player throws the king and the 8 and draws two cards, hoping to make a better low.
Full explanation
To draw down is to draw several cards in lowball so as to aim at the best possible hand.
To draw down in lowball is to draw more than one card in order to aim at the best possible hand, rather than drawing fewer cards, usually one, to a poorer hand.
The decision comes up when your hand is nearly good. With K-8-6-4-2, you can keep the 8 and draw one card, or discard both the king and the 8 to draw to the 6.
It is most often used when the opponent has stood pat, which signals a strong hand. A weak made hand is unlikely to win, so a bigger improvement is needed.
The term belongs to draw lowball and similar games.