7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker Tips & Strategy for Beginners


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Beginners Guide to 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo

7-Card Stud Hi-Lo is a split-pot game - at showdown the pot is shared between the highest poker hand and lowest hand. The 'low' must contain 5 different cards 8 or lower. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest of the low holdings and is known as a wheel.

There are no community cards in 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo. Instead each player is dealt 7 cards, using 5 of those cards to make the high and the low hands - a different 5 cards can be used for each side of the pot.

First each player posts and 'ante' which is usually a fraction of the starting bet. Players are then each dealt 3 cards, 2 face down and one showing to the table - the lowest showing card starts the betting with a forced small bet known as the 'bring in'. Betting then moves clockwise around the table.

When the 4th card is dealt the highest 2-card combination acts first, the highest of the showing cards act first for the next rounds too - a total of 3 more cards that can be seen by the table and a 7th face-down card are dealt with a betting round between each new card.

The objective in 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo for each hand you play should be to win both the high and the low sides of the pot. This is known as 'scooping'. If there is no low hand at showdown the entire pot will go to the player with the highest poker hand.

The best starting hands contain low cards which are either suited or contain straight possibilities. Both of these hands can make a high poker hand (flushes or straights) at the same time as making a low.

As in all Stud games it is important to remember which of the cards you need have been discarded from opponents folded hands. This includes both high and low cards. For example your chances of making a low are reduced if opponents holding the cards that you need have folded on 4th or 5th street. If 3 of the suit you need to make a flush have been folded or show in an opponents hand then you are drawing to 6 cards rather than 9 when you hold 4 of that suit already. This is a 33% reduction and emphasizes the importance of taking note of opponent's cards.

An important concept in 7-Card Stud Hi-lo is not to chase a weak low, especially in a multi-way pot. For example there are 3 players including you still in the hand on 5th street. One has KK showing and looks to be going for the high. The other has A-3-7 showing and appears to be drawing to the low. Unless you have 4 cards to a better than 7 low you should not usually continue with the hand. If you are not already beaten then you may be outdrawn - and vitally you are playing for only half the pot. Money invested here is unlikely to show a positive return.

Good luck at the tables!