Stud Hi-Lo (AKA Stud 8)

The increasing availability of online mixed games particular H.O.R.S.E has led many players to come into contact with poker variations they have not previously encountered. Let’s take a look at one of the less widely played formats, seven card stud hi/lo.

Rules

Seven card stud hi/lo is played in the same way as seven card stud with one exception, the highest and the lowest hand split the pot. Most stud hi/lo games have a qualifier that the low hand must consist of 5 non-paired cards that are 8 or lower (ace is considered high or low). Thus, a hand such as AA45677 has a two pair- AA776 for high and a A4567 for low. Straights and flushes do not count for low, so the best low hand is a wheel- A2345.

Basics

Seven card stud Hi-Lo is a trap game, there is an inherent trap in every hand that is played and that is chasing one side of the pot. Split pot games encourage poor loose play when they should do the opposite.

When we play Stud Hi/Lo to win money we must be extremely selective of the hands we play. We need to select hands that will give us a chance to win both sides (known as scooping) of the pot or are particular strong in the high direction. Most low hands can turn into a solid high hand by becoming two pair a flush or a straight but very few high hands can become Lows.

Starting Hands

Low Hands

The strongest hands to play are three low connected cards, the lower the better and suited make a great hand even stronger. A-2-3 is obviously the best low hand but of course it is still only a drawing hand so overplaying is not advised and knowing when to release is key. If we miss a low card on 4th street and an opponent with two low cards showing bets into us it is usually best to release as we will in all likely hood have to pay one small bet and one big bet to draw to a completed low hand and we could still be behind, chasing both low and high pots.

Low hands to avoid are hands that play badly both ways; these are hand with poor high potential and potential to only make a weak low. An example of this would be 2 6-8 where the cards are unlikely to stretch to a straight and the low draw is 8 high which will be a weak and vulnerable to other low draws.

Stealing with a bad low is only advisable when your door card has a reasonable degree of threat so in the example of 2-6-8 it would only be advised to attempt to steal with either the 2 or 6 showing as the 8 has little scare potential. Stealing with a poor low is extremely dependant on the door cards shown behind you, there must be little low potential opposition to act. If you are called by a high door card you have the potential to catch another low card on 4th street and might find yourself on a low free roll on 5th street. This is one of the more favorable positions to find yourself in where your opponent cannot possible make a low so you have one half of the pot locked up and the potential to hit a straight, flush or two pair against a big pair to scoop the pot for high.

High Hands

Playing high hand is potentially extremely dangerous in stud Hi-Lo and is extremely dependant on position to act and potential low opposition.

Big Pairs (A,K and Q )

Big pairs are very hard to play in stud Hi-Lo, I will fold any pair other than aces if two low cards are still to act. In fact some players will fold all pairs and I would not argue against this for novice players. Big pairs are usually best used to steal pots with and you do not wish to reach showdown against low draws because you might find yourself in a negative free roll with Lows drawing against your big pair leaving you with no chance to scoop the pot. If you do not make second pair or trips by Fifth Street and face multiple low draws I would recommend folding to a bet.

Medium Pairs (J,10 and 9)

Just fold them unless there is an extremely good chance of making a steal with only the bring in or maybe one medium door card is left to act.

Small Pairs (8-2)

Small pairs are only worth playing when another low card also makes up the hand and no high opposition is likely. For example a hand like 7,7-2 would play well heads up against a hand like 2-4-6, it would be ahead on the high with a pair of sevens and only a little way behind with our 7 low draw. If however a medium pair enters the hand we find ourselves drawing from behind to both sides of the pot. We have found ourselves in a very bad position because of the mid pairs poor play and should fold instantly. The key to playing small pairs is knowing when you slip far enough behind on either side of the pot to make a fold the best option, this comes with experience making small pairs tricky to play.

Three of a Kind (Trips)

Low and medium trips are vulnerable to higher pairs improving, and low straights and flushes so I recommend playing them fast. In all likelihood you will reach showdown with this hand so you should try to get heads up as soon as possible. Trips kings and aces I would recommend attempting to reel in some high draw money to the pot to make maximum use of these valuable cards.

Flushes and High/Medium Straight

I would recommend folding flush draws unless they include two low cards offering low potential or you can make a steal attempt with the draw as backup. Drawing to high or medium straights is a very much –EV play in all Hi-Lo games and I would recommend folding.

Lows vs. Highs

Playing low only draws with little or no high potential heads up against made high hands is a –EV situation and to be avoided. Do not fall into the trap of aggressive raising to try to force a high hand to fold because it is unlikely to work and you will only inflate the rake (in cash games only of course) and waste chips when you miss your low draw.

Highs vs. Lows

Playing strong high hands like a made flush or full house against low draw is an excellent situation to be in and I recommend inflating the pot as much as possible.

Playing vulnerable high hands (one high pair) against multiple low draws is potentially costly and I would recommend keeping the pot small until your hand improves and being prepared to get away when the action gets heavy.

Highs and Lows vs. Lows or Highs

A strong made low like A,2,3,4 and 6 with flush and straight potential are the ideal situations to find yourself in against either drawing or worse lows and vulnerable weak highs. Ram and Jam the pot and enjoy the greatest pleasure in poker the Free Roll!

Fourth Street

A common mind set in all forms of seven card stud is to always call on fourth street because of the money invested on third street and fourth is only treated as a stop of to fifth street where most decision are made because the bet size increases. This is a huge mistake and as you will be playing more drawing hands in Hi-Lo because of the nature of the game this will cost you potentially a lot more. Take a view on Fourth Street on the status of your draw, and if you feel you are now only drawing to half the pot or behind to a better draw throw them in the muck. Key objectives on fourth street are to get away from hands and draws that are second best, fold Lows that don’t improve and play hard hands that have good two way potential.

Fifth Street

Fifth Street is action street, the betting limits have doubled and both high and low hands will be made which means players will be trying to jam the pot to increase there winnings or to protect vulnerable but made hands. Be prepared for lots of raising and re-raising and fold most vulnerable one direction hands, be careful not to draw to a weak high and a weak low against strong hands in high and low directions. You get nothing for finishing second in both pots! If there’s lots of action you are looking to only continue with hands that are very strong high (high trips, full houses and made flushes) or very strong low (6 low) or two directional strong draws.

Sixth Street

Sixth Street is decision street, its quite rare to lay down a draw on sixth street in seven card stud or Razz because of the number of bets invested in the pot generally offer odds that necessitate a call. The key in Hi-Lo is to be observant to others holdings, if all chance of high is gone you want to make sure that if you do make low its going to be good and the same applies to high draws.

Seventh Street

If you have reached Seventh Street you will be getting sufficient odds to call with most made hands and now is just the time to decide if you have the best of it and its worth a bet or try to protect a hand because only a better hand will call or probable raise you. Be aware of other hands and always raised in a multiway pot if you believe you’re the only low hand.

General Tips for Seven Card Stud Format Games

Seven card stud structured games can afford a skill full player more of an edge than flop games like Omaha and Hold’em. The reason for this is plain and simple, information. There is more information available to the alert player than in any other form of poker. Not only do you have your opponents betting patterns to analyse you can also see how a hand is forming and the bets associated with it. You will also receive additional information from players up cards folded during the hand. All this information can be a little daunting to the newbie stud player; they wrongly believe they must remember every single card folded and the suit. I’m sure there are some players who have been blessed with this ability but I am not one of them and have been making money playing stud for many years.

The key to retaining this information is ordering it in such a way to make it easier to remember. I remember folded cards starting from the lowest value in order, so if 4,6,9,J,K then just add any additional cards into the sequence. If two cards of the same value are folded this information I tend to retain automatically, and with practice so will you. As for suits I tend to only mentally flag a suit when it’s ‘Out’ , by out I mean if I have seen four or more of the suit discarded. With practice you will very quickly be able remember ‘Out’ suits.

Concealed hands are generally better in value than split pairs; this is because if you make trips whilst playing a low pair it is much harder for your opponent to detect.