Cali Lowball
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About
This game was added at the request Linda who indicated that she and her husband were huge fans. I'd not heard of it before. After doing some research and then playing many, many hands, I can see why Linda likes it; I LOVE this game! If you know of a casino that still deals "Cali Lowball", please let me know so I can educate everyone else. This game is a blast!
Just like the games that offer a 2-Way Bad Beat, in Cali LowBall, you WANT the Dealer to get better cards because the WORST hand wins!
Please read the rules to fully understand the game. There are some twists that are important to understand. I suspect this game is going to become a favorite for many of us!
~Danny
How To Play
To start a hand, the Player must place an Ante wager and a matching X-Tra Bonus wager. These wagers may be between the minimum of $5 and the maximum of $500.
Additionally, the Player may place an optional wager for the "Low Down Bonus". This wager may be between $5 and the maximum of $100.
Wagers are placed by tapping on wager spots on the table. For all wagers, once the maximum, allowable amount has been reached, an additional tap will reset the wager amount to zero. A wager can also be reset by pressing a spot and holding for a brief moment.
Once all wagers have been placed, the Player will press the Deal button and play will begin. When the Deal button has been pressed, both the Dealer and Player will receive their own two individual cards and three Community Cards will be dealt.
Acting After the Deal
After the Player has reviewed her two cards, she will need to decide to "Check" and reveal the three Community Cards or bet. If the Player opts to bet, a Raise wager equal to 3x the initial Ante must be placed. If this wager is placed, the three Community Cards will be revealed, the hand will end, and a winner will be declared.
If the Player decides to "Check", the three Community Cards will be revealed. At this point, the Player must decide to Play or Fold.
If the Player believes that her five card poker hand may be lower than the hand that will be made by the Dealer, she will post a "Raise" wager that is equal to the initial Ante wager. At this point, the hand will end and a winner will be declared.
If the Player is not confident about winning the hand, she can "Fold" the hand. At this point, the Ante and X-tra Bonus wagers will be forfeit. If the optional "Low Down" Bonus wager was made, it will still be paid if a qualifying hand is made.
Declaring the Winner
In Cali LowBall, the Dealer’s hand must rank LOWER than a pair of Jacks in order for the Ante wager to remain in play. If the Dealer's hand is a pair of Jacks or better, the Dealer has not "qualified"" and the Player’s Ante will be refunded before the hands are read and a winner is declared.
In Cali LowBall, there is no concept of Straights, Flushes, or Straight Flushes. Those hands have no values. Additionally, ACES ARE ALWAYS LOW!
If the Player’s hand ranks lower than does the Dealer’s hand, the Player wins the hand and will be paid in accordance with the pay table that can be found in these instructions or by tapping the logo on the game board. In Cali LowBall, the Player wins all ties.
If the Player hand ranks higher than the Dealer’s hand, the Player will lose the Ante and Raise wagers; the X-tra Bonus and Low Down Bonus wagers will paid anytime a qualifying hand is made provided the hand was not folded.
Quick Replay
After the hand has ended, if the Player presses the Deal button, the same Bets will be placed and new cards will be dealt. If the Player does not want to repeat the last wagers, play will resume after new wagers have been made and the Deal button has been pressed.
Pay Table
Ante & Raise Wagers* | |
| Winning Hand | 1 to 1 |
X-tra Bonus | |
| 5-High Suited | 100 to 1 |
| 5-High | 20 to 1 |
| 6-High | 10 to 1 |
| 7-High | 5 to 1 |
| 8-High | 3 to 1 |
| 9-High | 2 to 1 |
| 10-High | 1 to 1 |
| Other Wins | Push |
Low Down Bonus | ||
| 5-High Suited | 500 to 1 | |
| 5-High | 100 to 1 | |
| 6-High | 40 to 1 | |
| 7-High | 25 to 1 | |
| 8-High | 10 to 1 | |
| 9-High | 5 to 1 | |
| 10-High | 3 to 1 | |
| Jack High | 1 to 1 | |
| Maximum Payout: $50,000 | ||