What is the Wheel in Poker?

It’s common to use a range of colloquial terms to describe different types of poker hand. The Ace to Five straight, often called the wheel in poker, is a well-known hand ranking across various poker variants.

Example of Wheel used in a sentence -> The wheel is the nuts in the lowball game Razz but a very weak hand in the lowball game 2-7 triple draw.

Using the Wheel Strategically in Poker

The Ace to Five straight is a strong hand in the majority of poker variants, but by no means invincible. Its strength will often be determined by the likelihood that one of our other opponents has made an even stronger hand. For example, the wheel will be less strong in Hold’em if the board is paired. In Stud, the wheel will be stronger if our opponents’ boards are not co-ordinated.

In certain variants such as Stud hi/lo and Omaha hi/lo, the wheel is the nut low hand. 

Knowing nicknames such as “the wheel” is not especially important, but we might find ourselves feeling left out of a poker discussion if we don’t know the term.

How Strong is the Wheel in Texas Hold’em?

The wheel (five high straight) in Texas Holdem can vary from being the stone cold nuts to a heavily dominated straight. If the board is paired and/or there are higher straights or flushes available the value of the wheel goes down. 

Why the Wheel is a Unique Hand in Poker

The wheel in poker is unique due to its dual significance across different game types. While it represents a straight from Ace to Five, its value fluctuates depending on the game rules. For example, it’s the nut low hand in Hi/Lo games but can be vulnerable in other formats like Omaha or Hold’em.

How Strong is the Wheel in Omaha Poker?

Although the wheel in Omaha can potentially be the stone cold nuts it is generally very vulnerable to being outdrawn in Omaha. Like in Hold’em, if the board is paired and/or there are higher straights or flushes available the value of the wheel goes down significantly. As a general rule the wheel is a lot weaker in Omaha than it is in Hold’em. 

The Wheel’s Importance in Split-Pot Poker Games

The wheel is especially important in many split pot games because it is the best possible low hand as well as being a high hand with a lot of firepower. It’s therefore often strong enough to win both the high half of the pot and the low half of the pot at the same time (known as ‘scooping’). 

Understanding the Steel Wheel in Poker

The steel wheel in poker refers to the rare five-high straight flush, a powerful combination in most poker games. The term ‘wheel’ is a nickname in poker for the five high straight (ace to five). We add the word steel in front of the name to indicate that all the cards are suited so we have the five high straight flush rather than just the five high straight. 

How Strong is the Wheel in 2-7 Triple Draw Poker?

No, the nuts in 2-7 triple draw is 7,5,4,3,2. The ‘wheel’ is an extremely weak hand in triple draw because straights and flushes count against our hand strength. The strength of hands in 2-7 triple draw is the exact opposite of the Hold’dem hand rankings system. Since the wheel is a relatively strong hand in Hold’em, it’s an extremely weak hand in 2-7 triple draw. 

See Also 

Ducks, Fish Hooks, Sick, Straight, Stud 

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