7 Card Stud Hi Lo 8 Better
Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Poker Game - How
To Play and Rules
7 Card Stud Hi/Lo
7 card stud hi lo is a technically
demanding poker game where the best poker hands for the high and low
split the pot at showdown. In 7 card stud hi lo poker, players are
dealt 7 cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best
five-card hand possible for each player is used to determine the
winner. Note that 7 card stud hi lo is played with an "8 or better"
qualifier, which means that a hand must be, at worst, an 8 for low to
be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. (Low hands in seven
card stud high low are determined in the same way they're determined
in Omaha 8 or better.)
Rules for Playing 7 Card Stud Hi Lo
Before a game of 7 card stud hi lo begins play, all stud players ante
a nominal amount (see poker limits for the exact ante amounts). Each
player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player
with the lowest exposed card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make
a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet (for example,
either $1 or $2 in a $2/$4 stud high low game). Action continues
clockwise around the poker table until betting is complete for the
round.
Rule Note: For the purposes of determining the bring-in in 7 card stud
hi lo, ties in card rank are broken by suit, with the order being
spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (in descending order).
Each poker player now receives an exposed card, called "Fourth
Street". The first player to act is the individual whose exposed stud
cards have the highest poker value. By rule, this player may either
check or bet. If no player shows a pair amongst his or her exposed
cards, the bet will be a small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). If any player
shows a pair, the betting can be opened for a big bet ($4 in a $2/$4
game).
Each player now receives another exposed card, called "Fifth Street".
Again by rule, the first player to act is the individual whose exposed
poker hand have the highest poker value.
Rule Note: Starting on Fifth Street and for the rest of the hand, all
bets are in big bet increments ($4 in a $2/$4 game).
Each poker player now receives another exposed card, called "Sixth
Street". Again, the first player to act is the individual whose
exposed cards have the highest poker value.
Each player now receives a seventh and final card (hence the name 7
card stud), which is dealt face-down and known only to the player to
whom the card is dealt. The first player to act is the individual
whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting
round is complete in 7 card stud hi lo, the last bettor or raiser
shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the
player whose exposed cards have the highest poker value shows his or
her cards first.
Showdown - Determining the Hi and Lo Winner
The player with the best five-card hand for the high ("Hi") wins half
the pot, and the player with the best hand for low ("Lo") wins the
other half of the pot. In the event that no hand qualifies for low,
the best hand(s) for high wins the pot. Remember that in 7 card stud
hi lo, the "8 or better" is still a requirement in order to win the
low, so a player must have an unpaired five-card hand that consists of
all cards less than or equal to the value of 8. Otherwise, there is no
low if no player can meet this hand requirement. After the pot is
awarded to the high and low hands, a new online game of 7 card stud
hilo poker is ready to be played again.
If you are familiar with stud poker, the most popular being seven card
stud, then you should be able to pick up 7 card stud hi lo fairly
quickly. If you are unfamiliar with stud poker or seven card stud, we
recommend you try that poker game out first to get a feel for how the
game is played.
Finally, if you like to play other Hi Lo variants, we recommend you
check out Omaha Hi Lo, which
is a very popular poker game as well. Both games are a nice change of
pace from the amazingly popular Texas Holdem game.
Courtesy of PokerStars
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