Poker And The Ace

Dear Mark,

Could you please explain the ace as it relates to poker, both using it as high or low, and using it in a straight? Also, can the Ace ever be used in this scenario: Queen-King-Ace-2-3 to form a straight? Ray W.

The genesis of the Ace's mighty rise to power can be traced back to the French Revolution, when the lowest numbered card (in that era the one) was positioned above the King to represent victory over the monarchy by the common man. Its chest did swell with pride, Ray.

Many games today, such as poker and blackjack, allow the player to choose whether the ace is to be used as a high or low card. For example, in Hold'em poker, an Ace is considered the highest card in the deck, with one exception: it can help form what's called "the wheel," or the lowest straight possible; an Ace - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5. With this 5-high straight, the five is the top card, not the Ace. Conversely, the highest straight, called an ace-high straight or "Broadway," is

Ten-Jack-Queen-King-Ace. Unless you are playing a game where an Ace is specifically given a high or low value, it's usually played as either, never both. Wrapping the Ace, Ray, a Queen-King-Ace-2-3, would never constitute a straight.

When playing best low hand, there are some poker games that permit the Ace to play low, ignoring both straights and flushes. For example, the 5-4-3-2-Ace is the best possible low, even if it makes a straight or straight flush. Other games count straights or flushes against you, but let the Ace play low, making 6-4-3-2-Ace the best possible hand. In games where the ace is ranked below the deuce, a pair of aces would also score lower than a pair of deuces.

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