Lowe-Mac

How to Play

Lowe-Mac is a seven-card, high-only stud game: each player gets two cards down and one up to start, then four more up-cards one at a time — finishing with five up and two down. You make your best five-card poker hand, and the high hand takes the whole pot. What makes it Lowe-Mac is the pot match: the moment your board pairs, you pay to play — and you get the muscle to push everyone else around.

🃏Stud, high only. Two down, then five up-cards with a betting round after each. High hand showing acts first; best five-card hand at showdown wins it all.

💰Pair the board, match the pot. The moment a player's up-cards pair, they must match the whole pot — or fold. You just pay it in; no bet yet. On that street's betting round you may bet up to what you matched to run others off, while everyone else is held to $1.

🔁Second pair, double up. If a second board pairs, that player owes double the pot as it then stands — the first has already paid in, so the double comes off the bigger pot.

📈The stakes jump. Once the first board to pair has matched, the table's max bet for every round after becomes that first-match amount — for everyone, who may bet or raise any amount up to it, the rest of the hand. If that first player folds instead, the max stays $1 all hand, whatever a second pair does.

A hand, step by step

Ante & deal. Everyone antes $1. Each player is dealt two cards face-down and one face-up. The high card showing opens the betting.

Build to seven. The dealer gives everyone another up-card, followed by a betting round — repeating until each player has five up-cards and two down (seven in all). From the first up-card on, the high hand showing acts first.

The pot match. The moment a player's up-cards have paired, that player must match the pot (put in an amount equal to it) or fold — paying it in right then, no bet yet. The bet is deferred: it gives them the rest of the street to read the table.

A second pair. A second board to pair owes double the pot as it then stands (or folds). Boards settle in the order they paired — the first matches the pot and pays in, then the second doubles the pot that's now bigger for it having paid. Once every match is settled the deferred betting round opens: the doubler acts first, then clockwise. On that round it's per-person — a player who matched may bet up to what they put in to run others off, while everyone else is held to $1.

The stakes jump. Once the first board to pair has matched (paid it in), the table's max bet for every round after becomes that first-match amount — for everyone, who may bet or raise any amount up to it, the rest of the hand. But if that first player folds instead of matching, the max stays $1 the whole hand, no matter what a second pair does.

Only two, ever. There are exactly two match slots a hand: the first board to pair and the second board to pair — and that's it. A board pair uses up a slot whether that player matches or folds, so once two boards have paired, any later board pair triggers nothing.

Showdown. Once the seventh card is dealt and the last betting round is done, remaining players show their best five-card poker hand. Highest hand takes the pot; ties split it.

The pot match, at a glance

First board pairmatch the pot (or fold) — pay it in now, no bet yet

Second board pairdouble the pot as it then stands (or fold) — the first has already paid in, so the double is off the bigger pot

Settling orderboards settle in the order they paired: the first matches, then the second doubles

Deferred bettingopens once matches are settled — the doubler acts first, then clockwise; on that round only the matchers may bet big (others $1)

Betting unit$1 limit (opening bet + three raises) until the first match

Stakes after 1st matchthe table's max bet becomes the first-match amount for every round after — everyone may bet or raise any amount up to it, rest of the hand

Unless it foldsif the first board to pair folds instead of matching, the max stays $1 all hand — whatever a second pair does

Two slots onlyjust the first two boards to pair trigger a match (paid or folded) — any later board pair does nothing

High hand only — there is no low half and no wild cards. Stacks start at $150.

Watch a Full Hand — step by step

Step through a complete Lowe-Mac hand. Watch a board pair trigger the pot match, then a second pair owe double — pay in first, bet later — and see why a buried pair of aces quietly runs away with it. Player 1 (Dana) is “you”; only you can see your own down cards until showdown.

Pre-deal

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Pot $0

Step 1 / 1

🟡 A gold “Match”/“Double” bubble marks the pot-match — the player pays the pot (or double it) in, then bets later. On that street's round only the matchers may bet big (others $1). And once the first board to pair has matched, the table's max bet jumps to that first-match amount — for everyone, who may bet or raise any amount up to it — for the rest of the hand.