The poker variant Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo differs from all other variations of poker in that player with the highest winning hand must spilt the pot with the player with the lowest hand. A low hand can only go up to an eight and an Ace is both a low and high card. Straights and flushes are discounted as high hands when playing for a low hand, but do count as a high hand if that is what they player is going for.

An Ace to Five straight, known as the ‘wheel’, is the best low hand and a good high hand. A player can with both high and low with a hand like this, or the player could employ their other cards to make a higher hand while keeping a combination of any for a low hand. While there always has to be a winning player it doesn’t follow that the pot will always be spilt between two.

As with standard seven card-stud, once the ‘ante’ is in the pot the players each receive two down-turned cards and one up-turned card, dealt in the traditional manner in a rotation to the player on the left of the dealer first. The opening bet, a forced bet called the ‘bring in’, is placed by the player with the lowest up-card and is half the minimum, although a player may choose to bet the minimum. The other players bet in a clockwise rotation from the ‘bring in’ until all bets have been either called, raised or hands folded.

A second up-card is dealt in the same rotation and betting now begins with the highest showing hand which can either be a high card or the best pair until all the players have either called, raised or folded. The third up-card is dealt as before and again the highest showing hand is first, again this round of betting opens with the minimum bet.

Betting closes when all bets are either called, raised or folded. The fourth and final up-card is dealt in the same order and this time betting opens with the maximum bet and again by the player who has the highest showing hand. At this stage the highest showing hand can be up to four of a kind. Once betting is resolved in the usual way, a final seventh card is dealt face-down. Betting for this round begins with the same player who opened the previous round since they still have the highest showing hand.

After a final round of maximum betting is resolved and all bets have been called, raised or folded, the pot is either split by two players who have the highest and lowest hand respectively, or by the player who has the highest hand if no low hands are in play, or if all but the last player have folded. It is possible to win both the low and the high hands. In the event of low hands being the same, the value of the cards is determined by the prearranged hierarchy of suits.

SEVEN CARD STUD HI LO STRATEGY

The real trick of this game is to know when and why to fold. Many players make the mistake of assuming that to win two split pots is equal to one full pot. It doesn’t work that way. Given the investment for any hand, to win half the pot is usually only a small improvement while the whole pot makes a big difference. With this in mind, it is generally advisable to only play to win the whole pot which means having a hand like a low straight which will take both ends of the game.

Occasionally a really good hand means it’s worth staying in for half the pot, but only if the hand is very strong when compared to the proposed hands on the board. The first three cards will usually suggest a possibility of both high and low hands, but if both are not quickly developed with the next card, then it’s best to fold unless a really impressive and almost certainly unbeatable hand develops for half the pot. If your proposed hand hasn’t developed after the fourth card, then fold.

Beware of aggressive betting in the early rounds, since most hands have not yet developed enough as those which will win both the high and low, and players who bet aggressively are usually those who have committed to half the pot with a strong high or low hand, but not both. Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo is generally a game of slow-playing for the initial round, until winning hands start to develop.

If you would call a bet given your hand, then rather be the one to bet than to check since it’s likely your opponents are checking with an idea to folding. This gets rid of weak hands and increases the odds of your winning the pot. Always keep a close eye on the board and specifically keep track of low cards, fours and fives, which are the backbone of low straights.

If you find yourself in a position where you’re left with only a high hand make sure of your opponents’ board cards and that they don’t have a visible high hand which will beat yours. If you are thinking you might do better to fold, then you probably would. Of course, much depends on your opponents and their betting character, whether they bluff or give themselves away, or if they bet aggressively when they have a good hand. An ability to calculate the mathematical probabilities is also well advised and will help in every poker game.