In this Draw Hi-Lo game guide, we will take our readers through the game rules, card values, payout structure and winning strategies. By the time you’re done with this page, you’ll be a pro at playing Draw Hi-Lo.
Draw Hi-Lo Game Rules
Draw Hi-Lo is a far simpler game to play and understand than regular Poker. This is part of the reason the game has become so popular. The goal is to bet whether you think the next card is a higher or lower value than the previous card. Players can bet the next card will be a higher value, lower value, or a tie. The game uses a single 52-card deck of cards,
Draw Hi-Lo Card Values
Before developing a strategy and placing your bets, you need to understand how the cards are ranked. The ranking of cards is very simple; a 3 is ranked lower than an 8, for example. The suit of the card doesn’t matter. In Draw Hi-Lo, an Ace is the lowest-ranked card, and King is the highest. The card ranking is as follows:
Lowest à A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K ßHighest
Payouts in Draw Hi-Lo
Draw Hi-Lo comes with escalating payouts based on the previous card and whether you’re betting on High or Low. If the previous card is a 2, there is naturally a much higher chance the next card will be higher. As such, winning on a Higher bet comes with a much lower payout than winning on a Lower bet. The payouts for Draw Hi-Lo are as follows:
| Lower Bet | Previous Card | Higher Bet |
| N/A | Ace | x1 |
| x12 | 2 | x1.1 |
| x5 | 3 | x1.2 |
| x3 | 4 | x1.3 |
| x3 | 5 | x1.4 |
| x2 | 6 | x1.5 |
| x1.8 | 7 | x1.8 |
| x1.5 | 8 | x2 |
| x1.4 | 9 | x3 |
| x1.3 | 10 | x3 |
| x1.2 | J | x5 |
| x1.1 | Q | x12 |
| x1 | K | N/A |
As you can see, the more difficult the bet is to win, the higher payout. The highest payout is x12 for a Lower bet winning when the last card is a 2, and the Higher Bet winning when the previous card is a Queen.
Tie Bet Payout
Finally, there is also a tie bet that can be placed. Players will bet that the next card drawn will have the same value as the previous card. The payout for winning a Tie bet is 10:1.
Understanding Draw Hi-Lo Payouts
Now that we’ve gone through the payout table in Draw Hi-Lo, it is important that we clarify some things about the payouts. In most casino games, they use the “to one” payout. An example would be 5:1. So if you bet $1, you get your original $1 bet returned to you, plus a $5 profit. However, in Draw Hi-Lo, the game uses a “for one” payout scheme.
The difference is that the house keeps your bet, and you get paid the profit. So, if you bet $1 and you win the x5 payout, your profit is $4.
Winnings are automatically Re-Bet
Another aspect of Draw Hi-Lo to keep in mind is that your winnings are automatically added to your next Ante bet for the next round, known as pressing. If your initial Ante bet was $5 and you won $4 profit in the next round, your next Ante bet will be $9. Players need to specifically click the cash out button to reset their Ante Bet and add their winnings to their bankroll.
Pressing can help players generate larger profits, especially if you hit a winning streak. The downside is that one losing hand after several consecutive wins, will wipe out all your winnings since you last cashed out.
How to play Draw Hi-Lo
Let’s walk you through how to play Draw Hi-Lo. As you will see, playing Draw Hi-Lo is incredibly fun and simple.
- Step 1 – Each round of Draw Hi-Lo will begin with the player placing their Ante bet. This is your mandatory first bet. Until the bet is placed, the round cannot start.
- Step 2 – Once the player places the Ante bet, the first card will be dealt.
- Step 3 – After the card is dealt, the game starts properly. Players now need to decide if the next card will be Higher, Lowe, or a Tie.
If a 2 is dealt, the chances are much greater that a Higher valued card will be dealt. After all, only four cards in the deck are a lower value, 4x Aces.
Winning Draw Hi-Lo Strategy
When playing Draw Hi-Lo online, the main goal is to try to string several pressed winnings together to generate serious winnings before cashing out. In order to stand the best chance of winning, there is an optimal winning strategy players can follow to give them the best chances of winning. The strategy will tell you the best bet to make, given the last card dealt. The optimal winning strategy is as follows:
| Previous Card | Bet |
| 2 | Higher |
| 3 | Higher |
| 4 | Lower |
| 5 | Lower |
| 6 | Cash Out if Allowed, or bet Higher |
| 7 | Cash Out if Allowed, Higher or Lower have Equal chance |
| 8 | Cash Out if Allowed, or bet Lower |
| 9 | Higher |
| 10 | Higher |
| Jack | Lower |
| Queen | Lower |
It is important to understand that the strategy is designed to give you the best chances at the biggest profits, rather than simply winning as many hands as possible. This is why when a 4 or 5 is the previous card; the strategy says to make a Lower Bet. Even though logically, you would have a better chance of winning on a Higher bet.
The payout relative to the odds of winning makes a Lower bet the best decision. In the long run, it should pay off more.
House Edge in Draw Hi-Lo
When using the strategy listed above, the house edge works out to 3.93%. This is a decent house edge, but numerous casino games have an even lower house edge. However, this house edge is on par with other hybrid variations of games.
The listed strategy is a relatively high risk/high reward strategy and not be to every gambler’s liking. It is always important to keep strategies like this in mind, but play the way that makes you feel most comfortable. If you prefer to make the safest bets, you will still be able to string together some nice wins and cash out when you can.
Remember Discarded Cards in Draw Hi-Lo
Lastly, it is important to try and remember which cards have already been played and discarded. By remembering what has been played, you have a better idea of the cards remaining in the deck. The player can use this information to guide their betting decisions.