Wheel
A five high straight i.e. a straight from ace to five is called a wheel. Hence, A-2-3-4-5 is called a wheel and here the Ace is counted for low. Now in the case of a straight, the ace can also be counted as a high, or low, depending on which end of the straight it falls on. For example, if a player holds a hand containing A-2-3-4-5, the classic wheel, the ace is considered as low, whereas if the player holds a hand containing T-J-Q-K-A, then the ace is considered high, as it falls on the high side of the straight.
Basically a wheel the lowest valued straight that is possible in the game, and even though it will beat any three of a kind hands, it will lose out to a higher straight, or higher. So if you are playing Texas hold’em, or even Seven Card Stud, the wheel is considered a medium strong hand. But if you are playing a High Low game, the wheel is a stronger hand, mainly because it can be tied only by another wheel, and beats all low hands. How this helps is that, the player gets leverage to bet aggressively, as all the player can end up with is a tie.
Even in comparison with a high game, a wheel is still stronger in a high-low game, simply because of the fact that since players choose their starting hands strategically, they will choose a hand which has potential to win both the sides of the pot. So a good hand in a High Low game, will not just contain high cards, but also low cards, keeping it balanced, whereas a High hand game places great emphasis on a high card heavy hand. Now a wheel is a medium level strong hand, so this automatically makes it a much more powerful hand in a High Low game.
In a Lowball game, the wheel is basically the nut hand. So in California Lowball, a wheel is an ace to five hand, whereas in Kansas City Lowball, the wheel is actually 2-3-4-5-7. This is because in the Kansas City Lowball game, aces are considered high cards, unlike in an Ace to Five Lowball.
Another name for a wheel is bicycle.
Forrige begrep: Weak ace, Neste begrep: Wild card
