Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and luck. It is one of the most popular card games in the world and has been played for centuries.
One of the most confusing aspects of poker for beginners is understanding the value of an Ace. The question that often arises is whether an Ace is low or high in poker.
To answer this question, we need to first understand the ranking system in poker. Poker hands are ranked according to the highest card in the hand.
The highest-ranking hand is a royal flush, which consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace all of the same suit. The lowest-ranking hand is a high card, which contains no pairs or other combinations and is simply ranked by its highest card.
In most poker games, including Texas Hold’em and Omaha, an Ace can be used as either a high or low card. This means that it can be used as a 10 or higher to complete a straight or as a 1 to complete an Ace-2-3-4-5 straight. However, in some games such as Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and Razz, an Ace always plays low.
To make things simpler to understand let’s look at some examples:
Example 1: Texas Hold’em
In Texas Hold’em, each player receives two hole cards face down and then five community cards are dealt face up in three stages (flop, turn and river). Players must make their best five-card hand using any combination of their two hole cards and the five community cards.
Let’s say you have an Ace and King as your hole cards and on the flop comes Queen-Jack-Ten (all different suits). You have just hit a Broadway straight (the highest possible straight), which includes your Ace playing as high.
Example 2: Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo
In Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo each player receives seven cards throughout several betting rounds. The aim is to make the best possible five-card high hand and the best possible five-card low hand.
In this game, an Ace always plays low. Let’s say you have been dealt 4♠️-5♦️-A♥️ in your starting hand and the community cards are 2♣️-7♠️-8♦️. You have a qualifying low hand with Ace-2-4-5-7 which is the best possible low hand.
In conclusion, whether an Ace is high or low in poker depends on the game being played. In most popular games like Texas Hold’em, an Ace can be used as either a high or low card while in some other games such as Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo and Razz it always plays as a low card. It’s essential to know the rules of the game you’re playing to avoid confusion at the table.
So next time you’re at a poker table and someone asks if an Ace is high or low, you’ll know exactly what to say!
