In ace-to-five lowball straights and flushes do not prevent a hand from being low.
In ace-to-five low, straights and flushes are ignored, and aces play as the lowest card.
The hand 7-6-5-4-3 defeats both, because seven-high is lower still, even though it would be a straight if played for high.
In the rare event that hands with pairs tie, kickers are used just as in high poker (but reversed): 3-3-6-4-2 defeats 3-3-6-5-A.
Two cards are frequently used: the hand 8-6-5-4-2 can be called "an eight-six" and will defeat "an eight-seven" such as 8-7-5-4-A.
Another common notation is calling a particular low hand "smooth" or "rough".
High-low split games with ace-to-five low are usually played cards speak, that is, without a declaration.
Ace-to-five lowball, a five-card draw variant, is often played with a joker added to the deck.
Let's say that Alice has 6-5-4-3-2 (called a "straight six")--a reasonably good hand for both high and low.
In ace-to-six low, straights and flushes are accounted for (as compared to Ace-to-five) and count as high (and are therefore bad), and aces play as the lowest card.
In the rare event that hands with pairs tie, kickers are used just as in high poker (but reversed): 3-3-6-4-2 defeats 3-3-6-5-A.
Two cards are frequently used: the hand 8-6-5-4-2 can be called "an eight-six" and will defeat "an eight-seven" such as 8-7-5-4-A.
A wild card plays as whatever rank would make the lowest hand.
It is almost the direct opposite of standard poker: high hand loses.
In deuce-to-seven low, straights and flushes count as high (and are therefore bad).
In the rare event that hands with pairs tie, kickers are used just as in high poker (but reversed): 3-3-6-4-2 defeats 3-3-6-5-2.
Another common notation is calling a particular low hand "smooth" or "rough".
Wild cards are rarely used in deuce-to-seven games, but if used they play as whatever rank would make the lowest hand.