These are several years old now and include anachronisms - like, Paul Volpe is pretty young...

If you sort your cards on me then showdown the nuts at least say "2+2 Bitch!" after the hand is over.

Try to discern which players at the table are there because the buy-in is only $1500. Some general clues:
Age - younger players who aren't recognizable tend to be NLHE players taking a shot.

Non-Squeezers - Lowball players have a general way of handling their cards. They rarely look at them as they come and tend to squeeze drawn cards (note: Ivey is a notable exception to this rule, so it does happen). They don't use card-cappers (another NLHE habit).

Seat Confusion - although the game is seven-handed the seat cards may include 8s and 9s. If someone is confused by that they probably don't play these types of events live.

Ranking - anyone who calls out "number 5" has played live. Announcing an 8 is not necessarily a clue, although saying "8-5" rather than "number 5" or "8-perfect" may be.

Other Lingo - "Smooth" and "rough" in announcing hands is a sign someone has played lowball live (note: if you don't want to give yourself away avoid using these terms. In 8-game mixed The Grinder once feigned ignorance to what "number five" was when I announced it).

Trying to limp in - KCL live tournaments require you to open for a raise; that's generally not true on-line. Someone limping in may have played KCL on-line but probably hasn't played it live.

Someone who regularly calls raises and draws two cards is not a regular lowball player. Raising in position (or the SB) and drawing two is different, as is overcalling and drawing two. Someone doing this with a noticeable frequency probably is new, and in general you should raise them with rougher one-card draws. However, beware of post-draw action; like anyone calling raises and drawing two their starting range is likely to be strong, so if a lot of money goes in they very well could have a monster.

Seek to isolate these players and assume a wider range when they raise. New players tend to over-value 9s and Ts as well as rough-8 draws.


Sizing up the table
When someone raises and pats in position after a draw, pay very close attention to what gets shown down. Raise-pat-check-check is a common play with a Jack of course, but on average you should be more apt to value bet into raise-pat against players you see do this often (and maybe even "value bluff" - bet a great busted draw when you pair a wheel card).

When someone bets into a pat hand pay close attention to what is shown down. If the drawer pulls a ten and bets into pat he's generally aggressive and not giving credit to pat hands in position (which usually is correct).

Someone who goes an orbit with no VPIP could be getting complete trash but assume a tighter range when he raises. This is especially true in the early stages when people tend to have some gamble and aren't intimidated by the size of the blinds. Tighter players have better hands on average but the balance of the hands are on the weak side of their own ranges.

Watch for players sorting cards. In TDL some players will give away how many they are drawing. While this is less likely in KCL, some players may still put their discards on top. If you see someone consistently toss a card from the top of their pile, rather than look through their hand, chances are they're a sorter (obviously never sort your own cards, unless it's the nuts or nearly the nuts, in which case feel free to put your deuce on the top when in position). If your sorter raises in position and then pats after you draw there's a very good chance you're up against a Jack or Ten-low (since pat-9s almost never consider breaking there's no reason to put that card on top). Since most players will raise the button with a made Jack, that is the most likely hand in his range (See KCL hand ranges below). On average, you should value-bet into these pat hands since your card-sorting opponent is likely to check behind in these spots.

Very interesting reading. Thanks for sharing.

Yes, very interesting.

Remember reading your trip reports from playing these events in 2 different years...or were they hand histories?...or both?

Either way, really great advice and you give numerous examples where draw games are much more complex than conventional wisdom says they are.