Limits & Blinds

During the initial offering of our Draw Lo games, you can choose from $.25/$.50, $2/$4 and $4/$8 fixed limit games. Limits will be added as per player feedback during the introductory stage.

Draw Lo Blinds:

The blinds are a bet/ante related to the small bet. The Small Blind is one half the small bet rounded down to the nearest dollar or even denomination while the Big Blind is equal to the small bet. For example:

• $0.25-$0.50 SB = $0.10 BB = $0.25
• $2.00-$4.00 SB = $1.00 BB = $2.00
• $4.00-$8.00 SB = $2.00 BB = $4.00

Game Description

There can be a maximum of eight players at 5 Card Draw Lo (lowball). A button is used in 5-Card Draw Lo to indicate the player for whom the house dealer is dealing. The button indicates this dealer position, and action on the first round (before cards are drawn) proceeds counterclockwise starting with the player to the left of the player posting the big blind.

Action starts clockwise from the button on the second betting round (after cards are drawn). On the first betting round, players -- acting in turn -- can call the big blind or other intervening bet, raise or fold. All bets and raises on the first betting round are in increments of the lower specified amount (for instance, $2 in a $2/$4 game). On the second betting round, players -- acting in turn -- can check or bet, if no other player has already bet, or call, raise, or fold if betting has already occurred. All bets and raises on the second betting round are in increments of the higher specified amount (for instance, $4 in a $2/$4 game).

After the initial round of betting, a player can draw up to 5 new cards. A player can choose to hold 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or all his cards.

How To Discard

To hold a card, move your cursor over the card you wish to hold and click the mouse. A red "H" will appear in the lower left corner of the card and the card will slide downward slightly inrelation to the others. Note when using the disk option to represent yourself at the table, the "H" indicator may be partially obscured at times but the card will slide down indicating that it is to be held. To remove the "Hold" on a card, click on the card again before the draw and that card will now be discarded.

Betting

There are only two betting rounds in Draw Lo. One after the initial five cards are dealt, and one again after the draw. Each bet and raise before the draw is set at the lower value of the limit structure. For example in an $8-$16 game, all bets and raises are $8 for the first round.

Each bet and raise during the last round of betting is set at the higher limit of the stakes structure. For example in an $8-$16 game, all bets and raises are $16.

Maximum Bets
The maximum allowable number of bets per player during any particular betting round is four. This would consist of the opening bet and three raises. Once the betting limit has been reached, players will have only the option of calling or folding.

Rake

Our house rake is 5% capping at $3 using a variable rake structure.

5 Card Draw Buttons

Each play option is identified on your screen as a button. Some buttons only appear when it is your turn. Listed here are the descriptions and usage of each of them.

• Join Game - Empty seats at the table are indicated with a small "Sit Down" disk. Click your mouse once on the disk to be seated in that position. If you wish to change positions after being seated at a table, you must leave the game and come back to choose a new seat. In doing so, you will have to buy back into the game as a new player. You also risk losing your seat.

• Auto Blind - By selecting this button, you will be no longer prompted to post your blinds on every hand. The software will do it for you! This speeds up the game and allows you to get more hands in per hour. If you wish to be asked every hand, just toggle the button so it is no longer depressed.

Normal Bet Prompts

Normal Bet Prompts will appear in the center of your screen when it is your turn to act. You will have 23 seconds to respond to a Normal Bet Prompt. A countdown clock will appear and indicate the final 10 seconds of this time allotment. Failure to respond within the allotted time will result in the Planet Poker Dealer putting you "all in" for the remainder of the hand or folding your hand if your "all in" quota has been exceeded for the day.

Fold - allows you to concede your current investment in this hand.

Check - allows you to continue in hand without additional investment.

Call - allows you to continue in hand by agreeing to call or match a previous wager.

Bet - initiates action to the level allowed by the game structure.

Raise - increases the amount wagered by the maximum allowable.

Auto Buttons

Auto Buttons are located at the lower right side of the screen immediately above the dealer/player chat window. They allow you to pre-select a betting decision before it is your turn. The decision is not relayed to our server or the other players until it is your turn to act. Auto buttons are an entirely optional means of entering a betting decision. Many players like them because they speed up the game and allow players to focus on other things once they have decided how they are going to react in a certain situation.

• Ask Me - by depressing the Ask Me button, you will turn off a pending auto decision that you have selected. The button when depressed ensures you will be prompted to act in turn. The Ask Me buttons default position is depressed meaning you will be prompted in turn and no auto action has been selected. Auto actions are only valid for one decision. After the action has occurred, the Ask Me button returns to its default state, and you will be prompted for a decision, unless you first choose another auto action.

• Check/Fold - by selecting this Auto Action Button you will Check or Fold In Turn automatically when you are prompted to act. If selected you will check if there is no action and fold if there has been a bet entered prior to it being your turn to act.

• Check/Call - by selecting this Auto Action Button you will Check if there is no action and Call if there is action when it is your turn to act.

• Bet/Call - by selecting this Auto Action Button you will initiate action with a Bet if there is no action to you or you will Call all action if there is action when it is your turn to act.

• Raise It - by selecting this Auto Action Button, you will Bet if there is not action to you and you will Raise It if there is action when it is your turn to act.

Other Buttons

• Options - This button allows you access to the Cashier, Mike Caro's four- color deck options, Sound Options and Web Based Hand Histories. You can also add more money to the table by clicking on Change Table Stake.

• Sit Out/Sit In - This button toggles between Sit Out and Sit In depending on your status.

  • Sit Out - Select this button to sit out without losing your seat. You will be allowed to sit out for up to 15 minutes at a time for a maximum of three times without being removed from the table. If you want to sit out, simply select the Sit Out button on the screen. To return, toggle the Sit Out/Sit In button.

  • Sit In - Toggle the Sit Out/Sit In button to begin play again after sitting out. You also need to select this button if you have waited too long to play. When this occurs, the software automatically sits you out

• Leave - By clicking the Leave button you will exit the Cardroom to the Table list and your hand will be folded if you are involved in a hand.

• My Money - Click the My Money button to verify your account balance while at the table.

• Wait List - The Wait List feature is selectable when you are at a table and sitting out. By clicking the wait list you can view the Available Table List and sign up for a different game. If the table is full you will be paged when it is your turn to go to that game. If the table has room available, you can move immediately by selecting the table.

• Player/Dealer Chat - this button toggles between the Player Chat and Dealer Chat. To change to Dealer Chat, click on Dealer Chat. To change to Player Chat, click on Player Chat.

The Order Of Playing A Hand

The order of a 5 Card Draw Lo hand is as follows:

Blinds - Before any cards are dealt, the player to the immediate left of the dealer button makes a small blind bet. The amount is usually smaller than, and never larger than, the big blind. The player two active seats to the left of the dealer button makes a big blind bet equal to the lower amount of the specified game limit (for instance, $2 in a $2/$4 game).

Hole Cards - Each player is dealt five cards face down, called the hole cards.

Betting Starts - The player clockwise to the big blind starts the betting. The player can call, raise, or fold.

Fold/Call/Raise - All subsequent players must fold, call or raise. If you select Leave or Exit after a round has started, your bet will be considered a fold. If your connection is lost or you fail to respond within 23 seconds, your hand will be played as a protected all-in or folded. This will depend on your all-in status and the quota of protected all-ins for the day. (This feature will be restricted to a maximum number of times per day, to prevent individuals from gaining an advantage by purposely simulating a timeout).

The Draw - After the first betting round, the players can discard zero to five cards. The action starts with the player to the left of the dealer, and proceeds clockwise. Players determine which cards to keep by clicking on the cards they wish to hold. An “H” will indicate which cards are to be held. Cards not held will be discarded and exchanged when the player is ready to discard. To remove the "Hold" on a card, click on the card again before the draw and that card will be discarded.

Fold/Check/Call/Bet/Raise - Once the round has started you must select one of the applicable options presented.

Showdown - When all the betting is done, and if more than one player is still in for the pot, then the system will declare the winner and show the cards of ALL remaining players. The winning hand is determined by the best 5 card hand.

Winning Hands For 5 Card Draw - The best five card hand wins. (See Order of Winning Hands)

Insufficient Cards
In the event there are insufficient cards to complete the hand, the mucked and discarded cards are shuffled and used to complete the hand. Our software is programmed so that, on rare occasions when there are not enough cards left in the deck to complete the deal, a player will not get his own discards back, but he may receive another player's discards.

For example, in a full game with eight players there will be 40 cards dealt, leaving 12 cards remaining in the deck. Two of the eight players fold their hands. The first player to act draws five cards leaving 7 cards remaining. The second player draws five cards, leaving only two cards remaining in the deck. The third player wants to draw four cards. He will receive the remaining two cards in the deck. At this point, the cards folded by the two players in the initial round (10 cards) and the cards discarded by the first and second players (10 cards) are shuffled, and the third player will receive two more cards from the reshuffled deck. None of the four cards that the third active player discarded will be reshuffled, so there is no chance that those discards will reappear in the same hand. There will now be 18 cards remaining in this deck.

The Order Of Winning Hands

In this game, the lowest hand wins the pot. In Planet Poker's version of lowball, the lowest possible hand (and therefore the best lowball hand) is 5,4,3,2,A (a wheel). Straights and flushes do not count. Hands are judged from the highest cards down. Thus 8,5,4,2,A is a better hand than 8,7,3,2,A; 9,8,7,6,5 is a better hand than 10,5,4,3,2. A pair of aces is lower than a pair of twos. If the hands are identical in strength (such as 5,4,3,2,A (all spades) vs. 5,4,3,2,A (mixed suits), the pot is split. Remember, straights and flushes do not count, so a straight flush wheel is the same rank as a mixed-suit wheel, and the pot is split. Any disputes arising from these descriptions, or lack of description, will be settled by cardroom personnel, who can be contacted at support@planetpoker.com. Their decisions will be final.

The Wheel - 5,4,3,2,A is the best possible hand in lowball.

Highest Card - The lower a player's highest card, the better. Aces are low. If there is more than one player with the same high card, the next-highest cards are compared to determine the winner, and so forth. If two players have the same high card, the highest card not held in common wins. For example, 9,6,5,3,2 beats 9,7,5,3,2; 7,6,4,3,A beats 7, 3,2.

Pair - Two cards of the same rank. If two players hold pairs in their hands, the player with the lowest paired hand wins. A pair of aces is lower than a pair of twos. A pair of sixes beats a pair of eights. If two players have the same pair, the lower side cards determine the winner. For example, 8,8,6,4,2 beats 8,8,6,4,3.

Two pair - Any two cards of one identical rank plus two cards of a different identical rank. Hands with two pair beat hands of three of a kind, full houses, and four of a kind. As with one pair, if two players both hold the same two pair, the fourth card determines the winner. For example, A,A,2,2,3 beats A,A,2,2,4. (Such an occurrence would be extremely rare.)

Three of a kind - Three cards of the same rank is a very weak hand in lowball. It loses in a showdown to any lower three of a kind or better. The only time you would likely see three of a kind in contention against another three of a kind at the showdown is if one or both of the players are all in.

Full house - Any three cards of one rank plus any two cards of another rank makes a full house. Fold or bluff!

Four of a kind - Four cards of the same rank. Four aces, for example, is a very weak hand in lowball! You are playing the wrong game if you get dealt four aces in lowball.

Draw Terminology

Planet Poker Deck - The deck is a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards. The deck is shuffled after each hand. You have the choice to select one of three different decks from the options menu. There is a standard two-color deck and two different Mike Caro four-color Deck options.

Draw Cards - The cards dealt after the first round of betting.

Discards - The cards each player throws away after the first round of betting.

Mucked Cards - The cards that are discarded face down by a player before the end of a hand are the muck cards.