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Joker – A wild card, or partial wild card. Also known as a bug.
In certain Lowball and Draw games,
one or both jokers are shuffled into the deck and play as a semi-wild card. A joker used in this fashion is called a “bug.”
In an Ace to Five Lowball game (California Lowball), where 5-4-3-2-A is the best hand, the bug plays as the lowest unpaired
card in the hand. If a player has 6-5-3-2 with the bug, their hand will read 6-5-3-2-A. If a player has 6-3-2-A plus the bug,
their hand will read 6-4-3-2-A.
In Deuce to Seven Lowball (Kansas City Lowball), straights and flushes count as high hands, so the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2.
In most casinos, the bug is not used in Deuce to Seven Lowball, but you may find it as a variant at some home games. If you
do find a bug in a Deuce to Seven game, it will most likely be counted as the most beneficial card possible.
The bug may also be in use in certain types of High Only Draw games. In this case, the bug can typically be used as the
most beneficial card to complete a flush or straight, or else it will be considered an Ace. For instance Ac Jc 7c 5c
with the bug would be read as Ac Kc (bug) Jc 7c 5c. If a player held Ac Qd Js 10h with the bug, the player would have
an Ace high straight. If a player held Ac 9h 7s 4s with the bug, the hand would be read as A-A-9 7 4. If a player held
8c 8h 4s 9c with the bug, the hand would be read as 8-8-A-9-4.
A joker is also called a "nose picker" because that is what the Kem-brand joker is doing. (Kem cards are the
most common casino poker deck.)
Jokers are more often used in a wide variety of home games.
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