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London Lowball Poker Strategy

April 14, 2009

London lowball poker is immensely popular in England where it was first played, but has failed to prompt an international audience like its cousins, Razz and stud. London lowball is unique because unlike many games that are similar, the flush and the strait count against a London lowball hand and London lowball is a pot-limit game in most instances. Because players who enjoy and are successful at London lowball must have patience as their biggest virtue, implementing a great London lowball strategy is necessary. This poker strategy guide will help you become a better lowball poker player.

Developing Your London Lowball Strategy

There are some common London Lowball poker strategies that many of the most successful London lowball players enjoy to “up” their game to its most successful. Perhaps even more important than following a specific strategy during London lowball poker game play is learning which particular strategy works the best for your game. Perhaps the greatest strategies often involve hours upon hours of hands on play to master. London lowball is seldom offered online, which means the avid player may need to introduce the game to his poker buddies if he plans to get any quality practice time in!

Learning Which Hands Work in London Lowball Strategy

One thing that the best London lowball players have in common is the strategy of playing the most workable hand possible. To do this, London lowball players must know which hands work – which should be folded, which can be bet on, etc. The best London lowball hand is the ace-two-three-four-six hand. Wondering why there is no five in the best low hand combination of cards? Because straights count against a London lowball player’s low hand, the five would constitute a straight, thus making the hand a high one – which is the opposite of what the goal is in London lowball.

London Lowball Strategy Doesn’t Favor the Bluff

If your normal game of poker allows you to pass off a bluff often, London lowball will be a big change for you. Most of the cards that make up your London lowball hand will be visible to the other players around the table; this fact makes London lowball one of the worst possible games for pulling off an effective bluff – although it is not impossible to do so. This can be to your benefit, however, because most of the bets and raises in London lowball are sincere. You also have the advantage of being able to see the biggest part of your opponents’ hands as well, which serves to give you a better idea of what cards are remaining in the deck and what the chances are that your opponents have the hole cards they need to make a good hand (based on their porch cards).

London Lowball Strategy: Determining Which Cards are Dead

One thing that London lowball want to see (as opposed to other games) is dead cards. Pairs count again the low London lowball hand, thus making holding any pairs a big drawback. Always be observant of what cards are visible in your opponents’ hands when deciding to bet, raise, or fold. For instance, if you see two “threes” on the table or porch, and you have a three in your own hand, you can pretty much be guaranteed that you will not be dealt a three. Of course, there is always that slim chance – but as a rule of thumb, the statistics against getting the fourth three are stacked in your favor.