Low Hand
A low hand is a hand that wins by being the lowest. In hi-lo games it takes half the pot, and in lowball games it takes all of it. In many games the best low hand is A-2-3-4-5, known as the wheel.
The simple explanation
In a hi-lo game, a low hand must usually have five different cards of rank eight or lower to qualify. The lower the cards, the better. Aces count as low, and straights and flushes do not count against a low hand in the usual 'eight or better' rules.
A closer look
Rules differ by game. In ace-to-five lowball and eight-or-better games, the wheel is the best low hand, and straights and flushes are ignored. In deuce-to-seven lowball, aces are high, straights and flushes count against you, and the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2. When you read a hand, you compare the cards from the highest down, so 8-4-3-2-A beats 8-5-3-2-A. Always check which low rules a game uses.
A practical example
In an eight-or-better game, A♦ 2♣ 4♥ 6♠ 7♦ is a low hand of seven-six-four-two-ace.
Full explanation
A low hand is a hand that wins by being the lowest. In hi-lo games it takes half the pot, and in lowball games it takes all of it. In many games the best low hand is A-2-3-4-5, known as the wheel.
A low hand is a hand that is built to be as low as possible, and wins in lowball and the low half of hi-lo games.
The best low is usually A-2-3-4-5, the wheel.
In eight-or-better games, a low must have no pair and nothing higher than an eight.
Different games use different rules for lows, so check the rules.