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. The eight or better simply means that the low hand needs five unpaired cards, with no card higher than an eight, in order to qualify for the low part of the pot. If there is no qualified low hand, the highest hand takes the entire pot.
The betting structure of stud/8 is identical to straight seven-card stud. In this lesson we're just going focus on the differences between the two forms of the game, so it's assumed that you're familiar with the rules of seven-card stud and know the all important poker hand rankings. Please refer to these rules if you're unsure.
An interesting difference that separates straight seven card stud from its split pot cousin is that most of the chips go into the pot on the later rounds in split pot, while in straight stud the chips go in early with players trying to thin the field. In the early rounds of betting all low hands are betting on the come, as the earliest you can make a qualifying hand is on fifth street.
Stud/8 Showdown Rules
Stud/8 is a split pot game, which means that at the showdown the high hand is awarded half the pot and the low hand wins the other half of the pot. If there is no qualified low hand, the highest hand takes the entire pot. If there is an extra odd chip after the split, it is awarded to the high hand.
- The key difference is that in Omaha you have four hidden cards and five board cards, whereas in Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo you have three hidden cards and four open cards on your personal board. The idea of the low hand is exactly the same in the two games: you are trying to make the best possible qualifying 'Eight or better' low.
- 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.
In the modern era of poker, it's more common to see stud played as part of mixed games. Let's jump right in and learn the rules of 7 Card Stud. (Note: This guide covers the rules of standard 7 Card Stud. You can also learn 5 Card Stud here or Stud Hi-Lo here.) Antes and the Bring-In. Stud is almost always played with limit betting rules.
The High Hand
The high hand in stud/8 is the identical to a winning hand in straight seven card stud. There is always a high hand, which will be awarded half the pot. If there is no qualified low hand then the high hand will scoop the pot.
Qualifying Low Hand
The rules for a qualifying low hand are as follows:
- Players may use any five cards in their hand for the low
- A low hand is five unpaired cards, no higher than an eight
- Aces are low for the low hand (and high for the high hand)
- Flushes and straights do not negatively impact the low hand
Ranking Low Hands
Low hands are ranked ‘top down', from the highest card in the hand. For example is lower than . This is an example of a '7 low' versus an '8 low'.
If the highest card is equal in rank then the next highest card is used to determined the lowest hand. This means that is lower than because the second highest card among the five is lower. If the second highest card was the same then it would go to the third, fourth, and fifth card respectively. If players share the same low cards then the low half of the pot is split.
In case it is not obvious, the best possible low hand is A-2-3-4-5, known as a ‘wheel'. A straight flush wheel is a monster to scoop the entire pot. Yes, there could be a higher straight flush to capture high but that would be very unlikely.
Stud/8 Hand Example
Here are two stud/8 hands at a showdown. Let's see who wins.
Hand A:
High hand: Low hand: does not have a low
Hand B:
High hand: Low hand:
This example would be a split pot. Hand A takes the high hand with a pair of tens and hand B wins the low hand. Hand A did not have a qualifying low hand.
Stud/8 Strategy
Always assess the cards your opponents are showing. With a little practice it can become fairly obvious what kind of hands all of your opponents hold or which way they are drawing. Also, just as in straight seven card stud, keeping track of live cards is critical. In split pot games tracking the low cards is very important, not only relative to their impact on your hand, but assessing the low draws of your opponent's hands.
Here is a caution to working toward a low hand – it may be counterfeited which would cause you to be quartered. What does that mean? It means that at the showdown if one player with the best high hand takes half the pot, and you have the same hand as another low player, the two of you split the other half which is only a quarter of the entire pot. This is not an occurrence in which you wish to participate.
The main objective in stud/8 is to scoop the entire pot – and one way hands go way down in value. A key point to remember with stud/8 is that you should not play marginal one way hands. If your hand can only win half the pot, make sure it is the favourite. This means chasing a low which has an eight or a high pair which, by the board, is already second place is silly.
Fifth Street is a key moment in stud/8, because it's the earliest you can make a qualifying low hand. This is why you'll find that most of the chips go into the pot on the later rounds in stud/8, while in straight stud the chips go in early with players trying to thin the field. In the early rounds of betting in stud/8, all low hands are betting on the come.
Stud/8 is not an easy game to master, but it is well worth putting in the effort to play this game well. How to use zynga poker gold.
Related Lessons
By Tom 'TIME' Leonard
Tom has been writing about poker since 1994 and has played across the USA for over 40 years, playing every game in almost every card room in Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.
Related Lessons
Related Lessons
7 Card Stud Hi-Lo is a poker game that combines the strategies and game play of 7 Card Stud and the possible split pot aspect of Omaha Hi-Lo. The same 7 Card Stud rules apply to 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo with the exception that the pot may be shared between a player holding the high (Hi) hand and a player holding the qualifying low (Lo) hand.
A low hand must have a high card '8 or better' to qualify to be the low hand. That is, to be eligible to win the low, the highest card must be an 8 or lower. Upon a tie with the high card, the hand goes to the player with the next lowest high card. Any hand that is high card 9 or higher cannot qualify as a low hand. In 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo the same player can also win both pots for the Hi & Lo hand when there is no qualifying low hand. The straight ace to five is the best possible low hand with the straight four to eight being the worse possible qualifying low hand. The ace can be used as a high and low card in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo. Straights and flushes are not considered when evaluating a low hand.
How to play 7 Card Stud Hi Lo:
Betting Rounds
First Round
In 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, a disc known as the dealer 'button' serves to recognize which player sitting at the table is the dealer for that particular hand. After all players have placed their ante they receive their initial cards. The cards are dealt in a clockwise direction from the dealer button. Each player is dealt three cards (two of them face down and one face up). The player with the lowest face up card is known as the 'bring-in' and must make a wager of half the small blind. (For example, in a $4-$8 game, the bring-in is $2). The other players then must decide to match this amount beginning clockwise from the bring-in. If two players are tied for the low card the card rankings are broken by suit, with the order being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (in descending order).
Second Round (Fourth Street)
Next, each player is dealt another face up card, known as 'fourth street'. In this round the first person to act is the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value. This player may either check or bet. The bet amount is determined by the value of the face up cards on the table. If there is no pair exposed then the amount will be the small bet (for example, in a $4-$8 game, the bet is $4). However, if there is a face up pair then the amount is the big bet ($8 in the previous example).
Third Round (Fifth Street)
Each player is dealt a third face up card in this round, called 'fifth street'. Starting in this betting round and all subsequent betting rounds all wagers are in the big bet amounts (for example, in a $4-$8 game, the bet is $8). The first person to act is again the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value.
Here are two stud/8 hands at a showdown. Let's see who wins.
Hand A:
High hand: Low hand: does not have a low
Hand B:
High hand: Low hand:
This example would be a split pot. Hand A takes the high hand with a pair of tens and hand B wins the low hand. Hand A did not have a qualifying low hand.
Stud/8 Strategy
Always assess the cards your opponents are showing. With a little practice it can become fairly obvious what kind of hands all of your opponents hold or which way they are drawing. Also, just as in straight seven card stud, keeping track of live cards is critical. In split pot games tracking the low cards is very important, not only relative to their impact on your hand, but assessing the low draws of your opponent's hands.
Here is a caution to working toward a low hand – it may be counterfeited which would cause you to be quartered. What does that mean? It means that at the showdown if one player with the best high hand takes half the pot, and you have the same hand as another low player, the two of you split the other half which is only a quarter of the entire pot. This is not an occurrence in which you wish to participate.
The main objective in stud/8 is to scoop the entire pot – and one way hands go way down in value. A key point to remember with stud/8 is that you should not play marginal one way hands. If your hand can only win half the pot, make sure it is the favourite. This means chasing a low which has an eight or a high pair which, by the board, is already second place is silly.
Fifth Street is a key moment in stud/8, because it's the earliest you can make a qualifying low hand. This is why you'll find that most of the chips go into the pot on the later rounds in stud/8, while in straight stud the chips go in early with players trying to thin the field. In the early rounds of betting in stud/8, all low hands are betting on the come.
Stud/8 is not an easy game to master, but it is well worth putting in the effort to play this game well. How to use zynga poker gold.
Related Lessons
By Tom 'TIME' Leonard
Tom has been writing about poker since 1994 and has played across the USA for over 40 years, playing every game in almost every card room in Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.
Related Lessons
Related Lessons
7 Card Stud Hi-Lo is a poker game that combines the strategies and game play of 7 Card Stud and the possible split pot aspect of Omaha Hi-Lo. The same 7 Card Stud rules apply to 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo with the exception that the pot may be shared between a player holding the high (Hi) hand and a player holding the qualifying low (Lo) hand.
A low hand must have a high card '8 or better' to qualify to be the low hand. That is, to be eligible to win the low, the highest card must be an 8 or lower. Upon a tie with the high card, the hand goes to the player with the next lowest high card. Any hand that is high card 9 or higher cannot qualify as a low hand. In 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo the same player can also win both pots for the Hi & Lo hand when there is no qualifying low hand. The straight ace to five is the best possible low hand with the straight four to eight being the worse possible qualifying low hand. The ace can be used as a high and low card in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo. Straights and flushes are not considered when evaluating a low hand.
How to play 7 Card Stud Hi Lo:
Betting Rounds
First Round
In 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, a disc known as the dealer 'button' serves to recognize which player sitting at the table is the dealer for that particular hand. After all players have placed their ante they receive their initial cards. The cards are dealt in a clockwise direction from the dealer button. Each player is dealt three cards (two of them face down and one face up). The player with the lowest face up card is known as the 'bring-in' and must make a wager of half the small blind. (For example, in a $4-$8 game, the bring-in is $2). The other players then must decide to match this amount beginning clockwise from the bring-in. If two players are tied for the low card the card rankings are broken by suit, with the order being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (in descending order).
Second Round (Fourth Street)
Next, each player is dealt another face up card, known as 'fourth street'. In this round the first person to act is the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value. This player may either check or bet. The bet amount is determined by the value of the face up cards on the table. If there is no pair exposed then the amount will be the small bet (for example, in a $4-$8 game, the bet is $4). However, if there is a face up pair then the amount is the big bet ($8 in the previous example).
Third Round (Fifth Street)
Each player is dealt a third face up card in this round, called 'fifth street'. Starting in this betting round and all subsequent betting rounds all wagers are in the big bet amounts (for example, in a $4-$8 game, the bet is $8). The first person to act is again the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value.
Fourth Round (Sixth Street)
Each player is dealt a fourth face up card in this round, called 'sixth street'. Once again the first person to act is again the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value.
Fifth Round (Seventh Street)
Each player is dealt a seventh card called 'seventh street' or the 'river'. This last card is dealt face down. The first person to act on the river is the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value.
Stud Hi Low Starting Hands
Showdown
If more than one player remains after the fifth round of betting is completed then there is a showdown and the last player to bet shows their cards first. If no one acted then the player whose face up cards, comprise the highest poker value shows their cards first. Players use five of their seven cards and the player with the best five-card stud poker hand wins the pot. The highest hand wins 50% of the pot and the lowest qualifying low hand wins 50% of the pot. If no low hand qualifies then the highest hand wins the entire pot. In the event of identical poker hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.
