Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Rules

Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo is a game that has grown to be very popular in casinos, and more recently has grown to establish itself in a nunber of online poker rooms too. The game is generally played for high stakes, although there are a couple of online poker rooms which now run low stake games.

The game of Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo has maintained its popularity largely due to the fact that it is included in the mixed game of H.O.R.S.E (Seven Card Stud or "Eight or Better" is represented by the letter 'E').

The rules of the game are identical to Seven Card Stud with the exception that the pot is split between the player with the lowest value hand and the player with the highest player value.

For a hand to be declared "low", none of the five cards required to make a poker hand can be greater in value than an 8. Straights and flushes won't count against you and an Ace can be ranked as either a high or a low card.

With this in mind, a hand like A-2-3-4-5 is one of the best hands out there. It won't rank as a straight for the low hand (as they don't count against you), but it will count as a straight for the high hand. Therefore, it's entirely possible that a player holding this kind of hand could scoop both halves of the pot.

Setting up play

Each hand of Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo starts with all players palcing an "ante" into the middle of the table. The size of the ante is usual equal to around 10% of the lower betting limit.

When all the antes have been paid, the designated dealer hands out each player three cards. These cards are dealt individually with the first two remaining face down and the third card being dealt face up.

The player holding the lowest value card on show starts the betting by paying the "bring-in" bet. This bet is usually half the size of the lower betting limit and once it is made action continues around the table in a clockwise fashion with each player being allowed to call, raise or fold as they see fit.

All subsequent bets now need to be made according to the betting limits of the game. For example, in a game of $10/$20 Seven Card Stud all bets must be made in $10 increments.

From fifth street onwards, all bets revert to the upper betting limit meaning that bets must be made in increments of $20.

Fourth Street

Starting with the player to his immediate left, the dealer then deals each player one more card face up.

In this round (and all subsequent rounds), betting is started by the player showing the best hand. This player can raise, check or fold before action passes in a clockwise direction.

Fifth Street

Another card is dealt face up to all remaining players before another round of betting enuses. Don't forget that from this point onwards all betting must be made according to the upper betting limits of the game.

Sixth Street

A sixth card is dealt face up to all players and is followed by another round of betting.

Seventh Street

The last card is dealt face down and there is one final round of betting.

Showdown

Any players left in the hand now need to turn over their cards. The player with the lowest five card poker hand receives half the pot while the player with the highest five card poker hand will receive the other half of the pot.

It should be noted that at this point players can split their cards to make one high hand and one low hand with a couple of cards overlapping the two.