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• It's "some of the purest types of poker," says @JasonMercier, talking 2-7 NL draw strategy @WSOP.

• Improve your non-hold'em games with the following tips on 2-7 NL single draw from @JasonMercier.

Jason Mercier is obviously one of the crucial top no-limit hold'em tournament players within the world.

The Team PokerStars Pro has also made a reputation for himself playing pot-limit Omaha events on the World Series of Poker, with two of his three WSOP bracelets and an important runner-up finish finally year's $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship coming in that poker variant, all adding to his greater than $16 million in career tournament earnings.

However, what some won't know is that the south Florida native has also made two WSOP final tables in a game that's rarely spread outside of a few nosebleed mixed games and on the WSOP, yet remains truly near and costly to his heart — no-limit 2-7 single draw lowball.

"2-7 single draw is without doubt one of the purest varieties of poker, on the subject of reading your opponent, whether he has it or doesn't, and whether he has the most productive hand or your do," Mercier told PokerNews, offering up an extraordinary glimpse into probably the most basic strategies he employs playing the sport just as Event #7: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) kicked off on Monday.

"In hold'em, you're looking to work out what your opponent has, but you're also taking a look at such things as equity, and whether you're getting the proper price. On this game, it's nearly always about asking yourself, 'do I'VE the most efficient hand, or does he?'"

The basic rules of the sport are pretty straight foward. No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw Lowball is a five card draw poker game where the player with the most productive low hand wins the pot. The aces are high, and flushes, straights and pairs count against your hand. There's a small blind, big blind, and a round of betting where you have to are available with a raise, before a single draw. There's another round of betting after the draw, and there's no limit.

More than numerous other games, Mercier says 2-7 makes for an excellent tournament, and that's the reason a large a part of what makes it exciting to play on the WSOP every year.

"It plays rather well as a tournament," he said. "THERE ARE VARIOUS games that truly don't, like Omaha eight-or-better, for instance. It doesn't play well as a tournament because people just do not get knocked out and also you get shallow quickly. I BELIEVE like with this game, people get knocked out the entire time, and it plays deep at certain points. Obviously you get short, too, but I just think it plays really nicely in a tournament format, and it is a really pure type of poker."

In this game, it's nearly always about asking yourself, 'do I'VE the most efficient hand, or does he?'

For beginners to the game, the number 1 tip Mercier can offer is that you really want become involved in pots where you've gotten a pat hand or one-card draws.

"Even [drawing] to nines or eights," he said. "YOU SIMPLY really need to bypass the straight draws. For example, I'd rather have than have , because [with the latter] the five is not any good. Yes, you can also make number two [i.e., a 7-6-4-3-2] should you catch a deuce, but with the nine, a , , , or make you a nine, that's a gorgeous decent hand on this game."

"I think lots of people want to, but you desire to not really play something like unless maybe you're raising the button, since you actually need to circumvent those hands where you may make a straight."

While the hands you select to play are important, Mercier also says taking note of what number of cards your opponents draw can offer a large number of information, and in turn can inform your personal decisions.

"There are a large number of spots where your decisions change dependent on what number of cards your opponent draws," he said. "For example, let's assume you've a hand. It's better to eliminate the queen and draw to a nine when your opponent takes one. But when he's taking two, you'll hold directly to it, because you are a favorite with that queen. Or shall we say you could have a jack and your opponent takes three. You must probably never be folding it, because again, your jack is a favorite."

In fact, in terms of any opponent who calls raises and draws three, Mercier says that's a sign the player may represent a weak point within the field, and is the sort you are going to need to attempt to exploit.

Finally, continuing with the concept that 2-7 is likely one of the purest varieties of poker, Mercier said using your ability to read your opponents is an incredible key to success in no-limit 2-7 single draw.

"Definitely one important aspect of the sport is with the ability to read your opponents for strength or weakness, and whether or not they are bluffing or value betting," he said. "There really is lot of deciding whether they are attempting to get one over on you."

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