Smooth and rough

Razz term

Smooth and rough describe how far your second card sits below your top one. Two hands can both be "an eight-low" and be nowhere near each other in value, so the word does the work the headline number can't.

8-4-3-2-A is a smooth eight — everything under the top card is tiny. 8-7-6-4-A is a rough eight. Same top card, and the smooth one wins.

Two eight-lows
8
4
3
2
A
✓ smooth eight
8
7
6
4
A
✗ rough eight — loses to the hand above