General starting requirements for Triple Draw (2-7 or A5)?

[NotFadeAway]

I've started playing Triple Draw at times lately for the first time (other than a couple of play money games a few years ago.)  Since it's in the new 8 game mix (which I love, by the way) at PokerStars I'd like to have some clue how to play.  Does anyone here play the game, and if so, what's your general strategy (mostly for starting requirements)?  I'd very much appreciate any help with this.

[Martini]

We mostly play Flop and Stud games but we do get 2-7 Triple Draw and 2-7 Single Draw games in on occasion when we're playing Dealer's Choice. We're all pretty much beginners at those games though we all know poker in general fairly well. I haven't done much reading on the subject since it's fairly rare that we play those games but from the little I've seen, here's what I've picked up.

* Starting hands - duh. You obviously want to get a hand where you are drawing as few cads as possible. I read something somewhere (maybe Super System I or II?) that was counter-intuitive to me regarding 2-7 hands and I forget what it was. I think it was something like 2345 being a bad starting hand or something like that. Sorry, I'll dig around to try to find that. Basically I'm folding a lot of hands. With Dealer's Choice we only do one orbit so there is a temptation to want to take a hand before switching to the next game so I want to tighten up and just play ABC poker. With 2-7 TD it is limit and you will likely get looked up by any reasonable hand so I'm not going to try to take down pots by bluffing.

* Outs - We also play Badugi and that game is actually good for teaching you how to be patient. A guy at the table said that if you are dealt three to a Badugi that you are only 50/50 to make one within three draws. Ouch. Now since suits largely don't matter you by comparison have a "ton" more outs. I also figure that the more people in the hand, the fewer outs I likely have.

* Position - Again, 2-7 TD is usually fixed limit and I'm not going to try button bluffs but we play 2-7 SD as NL so knowing who drew how many and being last to act is something you can definitely take advantage of. It always helps getting to see what everyone does ahead of you to help evaluate if your hand is strong enough. Seeing someone check/call the first draw then take a card and lead out tells you a lot and you can decide if he drew out on your medium strength hand.

* Hand strength - A lot of the decision making for us tends to be the question of whether to break up a moderate hand to try to improve. Someone with and Nine low or better will almost certainly bet/call any in NL. In limit Triple Draw anyone with any unpaired hand may well keep a bettor honest. We have seen some coolers where an Eight could get notched by another Eight. Last week a guy drew FIVE cards and caught a 76432 on my made T low. Sick.

Sorry I don't have much to offer. I'm still learning. Time for me to scour the Internet to see what I've been doing wrong I guess!

[FlyingLuske]

In SSII, I believe Negreanu, who wrote the chapter on 2-7, said to never leave home without a deuce.  While my experience is rather limited in this game I would suggest always starting out with three cards to a 7 or 8 low.  Is that kinda tight......yes, but if we're talking beginner strategy, I would adhere to it.  I would also throw in the occasional "stand pat" bluff on the second draw, just to keep people honest.

[Midnight Rose]

Luske speaks truth.  In this, it's very much like Razz starting hands.  Assuming you're trying to play well, you want to give yourself the very best chance to have a good low without overcommitting yourself with middling hands.  And like stud games, keep a very close eye on your opponent's board.

Also, realize the vast difference between single draw and triple draw.  You'll save yourself the inevitable life tilt when ace high becomes a good hand to go all-in with in single.

[Midnight Rose]

* Starting hands - duh. You obviously want to get a hand where you are drawing as few cads as possible. I read something somewhere (maybe Super System I or II?) that was counter-intuitive to me regarding 2-7 hands and I forget what it was. I think it was something like 2345 being a bad starting hand or something like that. Sorry, I'll dig around to try to find that.

Makes sense.  Normal drawing hands that would be great in "forwards" games often mislead you to overplay them in "reverse" games, and often leave you with a paired - or worse, completed straight - nothing hand.

[Martini]

OK, I found the chapter I was looking for and as FlyingLuske points out it's Negreanu's 2-7 TD section in SSII. It's a really informative section with a ton of info. Yet one more reason to pick up the book if you haven't already done so. In it he covers:

* Starting hands - Not only start with a Deuce as has been stated already but avoid the Six as well. You want to draw to the pure nuts. Also, build from the bottom up (234 instead of 457). You want to make smooth hands, not rough ones.

* Drawing - Not surprisingly, if you have good starting hand requirements then the drawing portion gets a ton easier. He explains how to play each of the three draws.

* Position - Really important and Daniel tells you how to use it.

Anyway, Negreanu does a far better job explaining the game than I ever could so I would say check out that chapter for some real good advice.

[FlyingLuske]

+1 to what Martini suggested.  I was in a Barnes and Noble with the g/f one day, went to the poker section and read the 2-7 chapter for a few minutes.  I basically skimmed it but what I did read was pure gold.

[FSL009]

Taught my kids this game last night (we just deal and then do the draw no betting as they are two young 6 and 7)

Well having said that if we do play with the chips they will just shove all the time...lol Donks..

anyway they loved it. 

they play 5 card draw all the time trying to make the best hand, and then to turn it upside down on them was a fun new way of playing, and actually made it easier as soom as a pair or better came up in a hand they knew they were done for. 

i can see that you really do want to start with an A.  So you can throw it and know that you are not getting it back, until i played some i didn't realise what he was saying...lol.