7 Card Stud Hi Lo

  

Introduction to Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

Stud high-low split pot is a form of seven-card stud. It is often referred to as stud high-low, stud eight or better, or stud/8. The key difference between this game and straight seven-card stud is that the highest hand and lowest hand split the pot. Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo (also known as Seven Card Stud 8 or Better) is a poker variant that is played just like normal 7 Card Stud except for the showdown rules. In this form of poker, each pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo is the more interesting but also more complicated brother to the regular Seven Card Stud game. Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo is a very popular stud game, but is not something that many players besides specialists play. A few online poker sites offer the game, but besides Pokerstars, most don't have any traffic on the tables.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo doesn't have much in common with the most popular regular games such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha High, but follows the same hand ranking system as the popular Omaha Hi/Lo. Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo is also known as a split-pot game as the pot is divided into two pools, half for the winner of the 'high' hand and the other half for the winner of the 'low' hand. The high hand uses the regular high hand ranking system, where the low hand uses the 'ace to five' system for ranking its hands.

As the name suggests, players are dealt seven cards over five different betting rounds and the players who shows the best five card combination in the high and low category wins the hand. It is possible for the same player to win both pots in the same hand, but it doesn't happen that often. Each player will have three cards that is not shown to the other players and four cards that are, providing your opponents with information about your hand strength.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo is not an easy game to learn how to master if you are not already familiar with other Hi/Lo games. Despite having the possibility to see four of the opponent’s cards, it is hard to get into the dynamics of the game until you have been playing for a long time. When you play Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo live there are also a lot of other factors to take into consideration such as who has to post the bring-in, who has to bet first and so on. Luckily when you play Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo online the poker software takes care of all of this for you, so you can focus on playing your cards correct.

Basic Game Play and Rules

When you want to start playing Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, you will need to know the basic game play rules and the hand ranking rules as well. As mentioned before the pot is split into two different pools, one for the high hand and one for the low hand.

The high hand uses the general high hand ranking system, known from all popular games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Five Card Draw. The low hand on the other hand uses a completely different and to most people unknown hand ranking system called 'Ace to Five' or 'California'. In this hand ranking system it's all about getting the lowest hand possible from ace to eight, also known as a 'wheel'. This means that any hand that has a card over an eight cannot apply for the low pot and straights and flushes do not apply either. Below we have provided some different examples of low hands that qualify to win the hand and we have ranked them by strength, starting with the weakest:

  • 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
  • 8, 6, 5, 3, 2
  • 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
  • 7, 5, 4, 3, A
  • 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
  • 5, 4, 3, 2, A - This is the best possible hand in any Low game

A low hand is always ranked from the highest card and downwards. That means that if you have a hand starting with a seven and five as the first cards, it will be known as a 'seven-five low'. Now that you understand the concept of winning the Hi and Lo pots and know the hand rankings, let's move on to the basic game play.

To start playing Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo all games need to have a dealer assigned, to deal the cards virtually. The dealer is decided by dealing each player a card face up and the highest card wins the dealer button in the first round. He will then deal the cards to the players clockwise and after each hand the button moves clockwise as well.

To receive any cards in Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo players will have to post an ante. An ante is a small amount of money the players put in the pot before they receive any cards, to ensure there will be something worth gambling about.

Unlike in most other poker games, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo doesn't have blinds that players are forced to post, but instead have a 'bring-in'. A bring-in is a small bet amount that players have to put in the pot when they are the first to act in the first betting round. The player with the lowest visible card will be the one who has to bring-in the first bet. Should there be a tie between one or more players, having the same low card, the suit of the card decides who has to bring-in the bet. The suits are ranked by alphabetical order, meaning that clubs are lowest and hearts are highest.

In the following rounds, the first player to act is decided by the player having the best possible hand shown. So if one player has Ace King showing and another has Seven and Seven showing, the player with the pair will be the first to act, unlike in the first round where the worst hand had to start.

Players will receive three cards in the first betting round, where only one card is shown to the others. The next three rounds will deal each player one face up card per round and in the final betting round the players will receive another face down card, for a total of seven cards.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo can be played with 2-8 players sitting at the table, but might end up in problems with eight players playing, if none fold. As there is only 52 cards in a poker deck, it's possible to run out of cards before the seventh street can be dealt and when that happens players will be dealt a single community card that they all have to share among each other to try and create the best possible hand.

The Dealer Button

The dealer button has no meaningful matter when you are playing Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo online, as all it does is show who has to virtually deal the cards and doesn't decide which players act first or last like in other poker variants.

To find out who has to start with the button in a new Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo game, the software will deal each seated player a open faced card and the highest card wins the dealer button. The game can now begin.

Ante & Bring-In - Third Street (First Betting Round)

The first betting round is known as the third street, because the dealer will deal each player their first three cards. First all players will have to post the ante and then each player receives two cards face down and one card face up. When all players have received their cards, the player with the lowest card will be forced to bring-in the first bet or raise his hand. The players after him will then have to choose which action they want to take:

Fold: When a player don't want to pay the bring-in or any raised amount to play his hand he will fold

Call: When a player have a good starting hand, he will call the bring-in or a raise amount to get another card

Raise: When a player has got three good starting cards, he can choose to raise the hand to get more money in the pot

The action will go around the table clockwise and when all the players at the table has made their decision the hand moves on to the next betting round.

Fourth Street (Second Betting Round)

On the fourth street, the players will receive their fourth card which is dealt face up. When all players have received their fourth card, the player showing the best hand will be the one that has to act first. This is the complete opposite of the first betting round, where the player with the worst hand had to act first. This pattern continues for the rest of the streets played.

The first player now has the option to check or bet his hand, depending on if he wants to pass the turn or put money in the pot. The other players will, depending on the action, have the options to check, call, bet, raise or fold.

Fifth Street (Third Betting Round)

On the fifth street all players receive yet another card face up, having a total of five cards. The player with the best showing hand will be first to act and players have the option to check, call, bet, raise or fold. When all players have made their decision, the next street begins.

Sixth Street (Fourth Betting Round)

The sixth street is where the players get dealt the final face up card and has received a total of six out of seven cards. Just like in the previous streets, the player with the best shown hand has to begin the action and the players can choose which action they want to take afterwards.

Seventh Street (Fifth and Final Betting Round)

The seventh street is the final betting round is also where players are dealt the last card, which is dealt face down. The players will now have a total of three hidden and four open cards where they have to make the best possible five hand combination. But before they get that far, there is yet another betting round which is also the last. Players can do the same actions as in the previous streets and the players left when the final betting round is over will have to show their cards to find the winner.

Showdown

At the end of the last betting round, the hand will have to go to showdown if more than one player is left in the hand. At showdown the dealer will determine who has the best five card combination hand in the high and low category.

When the dealer has shown who has won each pot, the money will be awarded to the winners and a new hand will begin shortly after.

“Nothing endures but change.” – Heraclitus

By far, my favorite poker game is Stud Hi-Lo (also called seven-card stud: eight or better, stud-eight, or simply eight-or-better). This game combines elements of split game poker along with stud. Like all split games, your goal is to scoop pots-not win half of a pot. Many of your opponents in stud eight do not comprehend correct play, allowing the skilled player to make money. This is the first of twelve introductory lessons on seven-card stud eight or better.

Specifics of Stud Hi/Lo

Stud hi/lo is dealt from a standard 52-card deck. Games are usually eight-handed. A professional dealer sits at the back center of the table (a computer facsimile if you’re playing online), with the players sitting around the remainder of the table. Each player antes (a small forced bet) in front of them. The dealer then deals out the first of two down cards to each player (beginning with the one seat, the seat just to the left of the dealer), followed by the second down card, and, finally, followed by one up card. Typically, in a $10/$20 limit stud hi/lo game, the ante might be $1, with a forced bring-in of $3.

For example, player 1 has as his up-card the 2♥, player 2 has the J♦, player 3 has the 5♠, player 4 has the Q♠, player 5 has the A♣, player 6 has the 2♣, player 7 has the A♦ and player 8 has the 10♦. The lowest up-card (by suit) must bring-in (start) the action. Player 6 must bring-in the action either for the forced bet of $3 or he may complete the bet to $10. Assume he brings in the action for $3. The other players then, in turn (clockwise around the table) may either call the $3, fold, or complete the bet to $10. Assume player 7 calls the $3, players 8 and 1 fold, player 2 calls, players 3 and 4 fold, player 5 completes to $10, and players 6, 7, and 2 call. This first betting round is called third street.

The dealer will scoop the bets into the middle, burn a card, and then deal a second up card to each player left in the pot (fourth street). Let’s assume that the hands become: Player 2: J♦8♥, Player 5: A♣4♣, Player 6: 22, and Player 7: A♦9♥. Unlike seven-card stud, there is no double-bet on fourth street if there is an open pair showing. On fourth street (and all other betting rounds) the highest hand showing bets first. Thus, in our example, player 6 can check or bet $10. Assume he checks. Player 7 elects to bet $10 and player 2 folds. Player 5 can fold, call the $10 or raise to $20. Assume he raises to $20 and players 6 and 7 call.

The dealer will scoop the bets into the middle, burn a card, and then deal a third up card to each player left in the pot (fifth street). Let’s assume that the hands become:
Player 5: A♣4♣9♣, Player 6: 2♣2♠K♥, and Player 7: A♦9♥4♥. Player 6, the high hand on board, can either bet $20 or check. Player 6 checks, player 7 checks, and player 5 bets $20. The other players could raise (in increments of $20); let’s assume that only player 7 calls.

7 Card Stud Hi Lo Starting Hands

The dealer will scoop the bets into the middle, burn a card, and then deal a fourth up card to each player left in the pot (sixth street). Let’s assume that the hands become: Player 5:
A♣4♣9♣7♥ and Player 7: A♦9♥4♥7♠. When there are two equivalent high hands showing, the left-most hand (e.g. player 5) will act first. Assume player 5 bets $20 and player 7 calls.

The dealer will scoop the bets into the middle, burn a card, and then deal a third down card to each player left in the pot (seventh street). Player 5 will act first (the player who acts first on sixth street will act first on seventh street if he is still in the hand). Assume he bets and player 7 calls. Player 5 shows his hand: (A♥6♥5♦)A♣4♣9♣7♥ — one pair (Aces, with a 976 kicker), and a 7654A low. Player 7 shows his hand: (JJJ)A947 — three Jacks with an Ace and 9 as kickers, with no low. The pot is split between the two players, with Player 5 winning the low and Player 7 winning the high. If there’s an odd chip, it is given to the player winning high. As in hold’em, the winning high hand is the best five-card hand formed from each player’s seven cards. (Note: parentheses are used to indicate the down cards in stud.)

Like almost all split-pot games dealt in public casinos and cardrooms, stud hi/lo is played with an eight qualifier for low. In order to have a low, you must have five cards individually numbered eight or lower (hence the name eight or better). Straights and flushes do not count against you for low. An ace functions as the lowest possible card, a one, in determining low hands. In comparing two low hands, read the cards from the highest card to the lowest. For example, a player holding (K♦7♠3♣)5♥2♠A♦8♦ has a 7532A low, while a player holding
(Q♠Q♣4♠)2♥6♥5♦3♠ has a 65432 low. If these two players were against each other, the 65432 low would be the better low and would win the low half of the pot.

Unlike Omaha hi/lo, the majority of stud-eight hands have a low hand. Players don’t share cards, so there’s a strong likelihood that someone is dealt a low. Many stud hi/lo hands become a battle of an obvious high, an obvious low, and a not so obvious high or low.

The ability to remember cards played is very important in seven-card stud. For example, if you have four cards to a flush but almost all of the cards of your suit have been played, you may need to fold your hand.

Stud hi/lo is frequently played with an “action bet.” If a player scoops a decent-sized pot, he is required to post a third-street completion bet (if the game is $10/$20 limit, he would post $10). Players acting before the player with the “action bet” cannot complete the bet themselves-they must either call the bring-in or fold. When the action gets to the “action bet” player, he makes his automatic completion bet. The other players now get a chance to raise, call, or fold.

There’s a dedicated group of stud hi/lo players, but the game isn’t as popular as seven-card stud, and is nowhere near as popular as hold’em. On the West Coast, stud hi/lo is more popular than seven-card stud high: yesterday, in the cardroom I frequent, there were three games of stud hi/lo but no games of seven-card stud high.

Stud hi/lo is not popular at the low limits, though (except online). It’s a shame, because it’s a relatively easy game to play, and is a very beatable game. In cardrooms, though, you’ll find many more games of low-limit stud high than stud hi/lo.

Stud Hi Lo Strategy

Why Play 7 Card Stud

To make money, of course. Many players have no concept that the goal is scooping pots, and will chase pots when their only chance is to win half of a pot. If you just think about this in relationship to pot odds, you should understand why this is a poor strategy.

Other reasons to play Stud hi/lo include:

  1. Players play far too many hands. Stud rewards patience. Starting hand selection is vital.
  2. If you can read players you will prosper in stud. Knowing if a player has two pair, or is just chasing a flush draw, is vital.
  3. If you have a good memory for the cards that have been played, you will have an advantage over many of your opponents in stud.

Regle 7 Card Stud Hi Lo

Why You Shouldn’t Play Stud Hi/Lo

If you want constant action, play hold’em, and bypass all forms of stud. Other reasons not to play stud hi/lo include:

7 Card Stud Hi Low

The game isn’t played in your casino or cardroom.
You have a bad memory for cards. This is a huge detriment to playing stud – the cards that have been played have a tremendous impact on each hand.

Limit stud hi lo rules

Conclusion

Stud hi/lo is a fun game to play and can also be a quite profitable one to play. Over the next 11 lessons we will look at how to become a winning stud hi/lo player. In the next lesson, we will examine necessary traits of the winning stud hi/lo player.

7 Card Stud Hi Low

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