7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker

Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker (also known as "7 Card Stud Hi-Lo" and "7 Card Stud/8 or Better") is a popular variation on the classic Seven Card Stud. Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo features a variation often seen in other games, such as Omaha, Triple Draw and Crazy Pineapple.

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo games are currently enjoying a surge in popularity among players on internet poker sites, who claim it is a good alternative to the usual no-limit Texas Hold'em games.

Rules for Playing 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker

Like its name implies, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo is played much like the classic 7 Card Stud. Players receive two cards face down (hole cards) and one face up (door card).

Players bet in fixed increments in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo games. The lower betting limit is in force for the first two rounds. The higher limit comes into play on the last three rounds.

In Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, the dealer splits the pot into a "high" and a "low" pot. The player with the best hand wins the high pot.

However, a player can win half the pot if he has five non-paired cards valued at eight or lower. The "high/low" pot split brings a new dimension to the classic game.

Strategy for 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker

Players in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo games often stay in a hand all the way to the last card (known as "Seventh Street" or the "river" card) just to see if they can catch the low half of the pot. When two low hands tie, each player gets half of the low pot, or a quarter of the full pot.

Inexperienced Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo players will frequently chase hands only to get "quartered". These plays are the biggest money leaks in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker.

Skills and Challenges of 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker

As with the high-only version, one of the most important skills a 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo player can have is a sharp memory. 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo games require that players remember every card that opponents fold.

Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker games also require patience. Even when a player hits a big high hand, he must often be content with only half the pot if an opponent has the best low hand.

The Big Game: 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker

In Las Vegas, "The Big Game" refers to a high-stakes cash game played by the best players in the world at the Bellagio casino. The Big Game employs many varieties of poker. Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo is one of them. Established pros and internet poker whiz kids alike test their skills in this challenging environment.

Many of the pros enjoy the added complexity of 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo. Much like the game of 3-D chess in the "Star Trek" films, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo games allow players to apply strategies on multiple levels.

World Series of Poker 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker Games

The first 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo tournament at the World Series of Poker came in 1976. The event had a $1,000 buy-in and was called "Seven Card Stud Split". Doc Green won that first event and earned $12,750. Poker legend Doyle Brunson won the event the next year, as well as his second Main Event.

At the 2009 World Series of Poker, poker pro Jeffrey Lisandro completed a unique triple feat. He won the Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo and Razz (Seven Card Stud Low) events in the same year. His trifecta earned him WSOP Player of the Year honors.

Internet Poker 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker Games

For internet poker players accustomed to the action of no-limit Texas Hold'em, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo can seem like a drag. The limit betting structures and the memorization required for success can seem restricting to internet poker junkies.

However, the skills players can learn in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo games can help them in other games. Patience, discipline and memory are always useful tools, both at the table and away from it.

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker: Conclusion

Although it may not be as popular as Texas Hold'em, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo is still an exciting and challenging game. Since low hands are often difficult for opponents to detect, the game opens up new levels of deception, bluffing and slowplaying that the accelerated no-limit format frequently can't offer players.