Seven-Card Stud is a classic poker variant that predates the popularity of Texas Hold’em and continues to captivate players with its unique gameplay and strategic depth.
Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, also known as Seven Card Stud 8 or Better por just Stud Hi-lo, is a variant that adds a split pot dynamic to the traditional Seven Card Stud gameplay. Click here to check our guide on how to play Seven Card Stud.
In this variation, players compete for both the high and low halves of the pot. One half of the pot goes to the strongest high hand, while the remaining half is claimed by the best low hand.
Table of Contents
Origins and History of Seven Card Stud
Seven-Card Stud traces its roots back to the early 19th century and was the most popular form of poker until Texas Hold’em took center stage. The game gained prominence in the United States during the Gold Rush era and remained a staple for decades. While its popularity may have waned, Seven-Card Stud still holds a special place in the hearts of many poker enthusiasts.
The basics
Stud Hi-Lo can be played with two to eight players, and the most significant difference between seven-card stud and Texas hold’em is that seven-card stud does not involve community cards.
Players are individually dealt seven cards throughout the course of the hand, of which three are dealt face down and four are dealt face-up. The objective is to make both your best five card high hand, and your best five card low hand, using any combination of the seven cards you are dealt.
The player with the best high hand wins half the pot, and the player with the best low hand wins the other half. If there is no qualifying low hand, the player with the best high hand wins the entire pot.
Stud Hi-Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ or ‘California’ system for ranking low hands. Straights and flushes do not count against a hand, and Aces are always low, so the best possible hand is a “wheel” – A, 2, 3, 4, 5. A qualifying low hand must not contain any pairs or cards higher than eight. We’ll go into more detail about the low-hand later in this guide.
Stud Hi-Lo is usually played with a Limit betting structure, in which the bets are in fixed increments. For example, in a $10/$20 limit game the bets are in increments of $10 on the first two betting rounds, and increments of $20 on the last three betting rounds.
Rules and Gameplay
Ante
Before a game of Stud Hi-Lo begins, all players must post the ante. While the blinds are the forced bets in Texas Hold’em, antes are the forced bets placed by every player in Seven Card Stud. Think of the ante as the cost of being dealt into the hand.
>> Click here to know more about blinds and antes.
The amount of the ante depends on the game. In this guide, we will use a $10/$20 Stud Hi-lo game with an ante of $1 and a bring-in of $5 as an example.
Third Street
Each player is initially dealt three cards, two hidden hole cards and one face-up (door card). The player with the lowest door card would have to post the $5 bring-in, but this person does have the option to “complete” the bet by posting $10 (the small limit of the game)
Observation: If two or more players are showing the same card, the tie is broken by the suit. The suits follow an alphabetical hierarchy – starting with clubs (the lowest), then diamonds, hearts, and spades (the highest). The suit with the lowest rank breaks the tie. For instance, if both the four of hearts and the four of clubs are exposed at the start of the hand, the four of clubs would determine the bring-in.
Action continues clockwise around the table, with each player having the option to call, raise or fold. In the case that the first player who brought in only posts the bring-in, other players may have the option of completing the bet to $10 as the first raise.
Once the betting is complete, every player left in the hand is dealt a fourth card, referred to as fourth street.
Fourth Street
Each player receives another face-up card. The first player to act is the one showing the highest hand. For example, a player with an exposed pair of jacks would act first if no other player is showing a bigger pair. This player may either check or bet the lower structured betting amount; in ou example that would be $10.
Observation: If any player shows a pair, the betting can be opened for one big bet ($20 in our example). Once someone makes the ‘big bet’ in this situation, the bigger bet amount continues for the remainder of the Fourth Street.
Fifth Street
Players now receive another face-up card, the ‘Fifth Street’. Again, the first player to act is the one with the exposed cards that have the highest poker value. Another round of betting takes place.
From fifth street forward, all bets are in big bet increments ($20 in our example).
Sixth Street
Players now receive another face-up card, the ‘Sixth Street’. Again, the first player to act is the one with the exposed cards that have the highest poker value. Another round of betting takes place.
Seventh Street (River)
Each player now receives the final card. This card is dealt face-down and known only to the respective player. Yet again, the first player to act is the one whose exposed cards have the highest poker value. Another round of betting takes place and if two or more players remains, we go to the Showdown.
Showdown
If more than one player remains after the seventh street, the player who placed the last bet or raise reveals their cards first. If there was no bet on seventh street, the player in the earliest seat shows his cards first. The rest of the other player’s hands are shown in clockwise order.
The player with the best five-card hand wins half the pot and the player with the best low hand, wins the other half. In situations where hands are identical (ties), the pot is evenly split among the players with the matching hands.
Once the pot is awarded, the next hand begins.
To better illustrate the gameplay, see in the image below an example of the seven cards dealt in Seven Card Stud and their respective streets.
Low Hand Explained
First of all, you can use the same cards in your low and in your high hand. Stud Hi-Lo employs an ‘8-or-better’ qualifier, indicating that a qualifying low hand must comprise five distinct cards, all ranked at eight or lower. This condition must be met for a player to be eligible to win the low half of the pot.
Stud Hi-Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ system for ranking low hands. What does that mean?
For the low hand, the ace is considered a low card (the lowest), and straights and flushes do not count against a hand, so the best possible hand is a “wheel”: 5, 4, 3, 2, A. The next lowest possible hand is 6-4-3-2-A. The worst low hand that qualifies as a low in Stud Hi-Lo would be 8-7-6-5-4.
Very important: The low hand is always ranked from its highest card downwards. Let’s give you some examples to make it easier to understand:
Hand A: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
Hand B: 8, 7, 3, 2, A
In this case, hand A is a better low hand because it’s highest card is a seven. Hand A is a ‘Seven-low’ while Hand B is a ‘Eight-low’.
Hand A: 6, 5, 4, 3, A
Hand B: 6, 4, 3, 2, A
In this case, the highest card in both hands is a six, but the second highest card in hand B is a four, which is lower than the five in hand A, making hand B the best low hand. Hand B is a ‘Six-Four low’ while hand A is a ‘Six-Five low’.
If there is a tie between the low hands, the respective half of the pot is split between the players with the best low hand. The same can happen with the high hand.
You can win both halves of the pot, wich is something that you should always aim at when playing Stud Hi-Lo or any other split pot game. This is called a “scoop” or “scooping.”
It is also importante to point out that sometimes there will be no qualifying low hand. When that happens, the best high hand scoops the whole pot.
Strategies and Tips
- Starting Hand Selection: Focus on hands that have the potential to make both a strong high hand and a qualifying low hand.
- Reading Opponents: Pay attention to the exposed cards of your opponents to gauge their potential hands and their inclination towards high or low.
- Split Pot Considerations: Evaluate the strength of your hand for both high and low possibilities and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Scooping Opportunities: Aim to “scoop” the entire pot by winning both the high and low halves, but be mindful of the potential for counterfeiting.
- Pot Odds: Calculate the pot odds and assess the potential value of competing for both the high and low sides of the pot before making decisions.
Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo provides an exciting twist on the classic Seven-Card Stud, challenging players to strategize for both high and low hands. By understanding the rules and implementing effective strategies, you can become a skilled Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo player and capitalize on splitting pots and playing for high and low. Remember to practice, analyze your gameplay, and continually refine your skills to thrive in this captivating and rewarding poker variant.
