The splitting of the pot into two halves, one for the best high hand and one for the best low, makes seven-card stud an action-packed and exciting game. An astute player can win healthy sums against loose opponents.

Though there are more ways to win at high-low stud, you must not let the increased opportunities of winning pots tempt you into looser playing habits. The same winning principles apply—enter the betting only with good starting cards, ones which hold possibilities of winning either the high or low end of the pot.

Straddling the middle with hands that hold both high and low possibilities but are mediocre in both directions is a costly and weak strategy. You can work only with the cards that you're dealt. If the hand is not strong as either a high or low hand, then the cards should be folded. Save your bets and play only with cards that can make you a winner.
Enter the betting with the same starting cards you would play in either high seven-card stud for the high pot or in Razz for the low pot. If your cards develop into potential two-way winners, that's even better. For now, though, concentrate on winning at least one way.

Here are the minimum starting cards needed to play for the low pot:
Seven-Card High-Low Stud • Minimum Low-End Starting Cards
Three card 7-high or lower
Three card 8-high containing two cards 5 or less Three card 9-high, with the two back-up cards being an ace, 2 or 3 With three promising low cards, play till fourth street, but if you don't receive a fourth low card, fold. You have to face three more betting rounds, and with heavy betting and raising, trying to catch two more low cards is an expensive proposition, especially with only half a pot as the prize. However, if other low hand possibilities haven't improved either, and it seems your hand is still a competitor for the low pot, fifth street could be worth a play.
Low hands with flush or straight possibilities, such as the 7 5 2 of hearts or 5 4 3 of mixed suits, are ideal high-low hands. They provide the double threat of taking the high and low pots, and, if the cards pan out, of winning the high-low pot outright.

Seven-Card High-Low Stud • Minimum High-End Starting Cards
Three-of-a-kind
Three-card straight flush
Three-card flush
Three-card straight
Pair of 10s or higher
Low-middle pair with ace or king kicker
Concealed pair with face card kicker
Three high cards with two-straight or flush

You can also play a concealed low pair, 7s or lower, with a low open card, 6 or lower, until fourth street. If the hand doesn't improve there, that hand should be folded. Though you'll go in with a lot of hands, you'll also be quick to fold many of them if there is no improvement on fourth street.

Three-card flushes and straights should be ditched if the fourth card isn't bought, unless fourth street position leaves you with a combination three-flush or straight and three-card 7-high low hand. In that case, take the hand to fifth street, and stay there only if you improve to a four-card low or four-card flush or straight. Otherwise, fold the hand.

Low or medium pairs that don't improve should be thrown away. With only half a pot to win, the odds don't justify playing these marginal cards. Similarly, the three high-card hand, two-straight, and two-flush hands should be thrown away if they don't improve.
The nature of high-low stud calls for more aggressive play. When you have a lock on either the high or low end of the pot, bet forcefully. You want to create big pots and make the winnings that much sweeter.

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In seven-card low stud, players use their best five cards out of the seven dealt to form the lowest hand possible, as opposed to high stud, where players look to form their highest totals. (See the section on lowball in the draw poker chapter for ranking hands in low poker.) Strategic thinking in razz is different than in high poker. Good lowball hands always start out as drawing hands, hands which need advantageous draws to develop into winners.

Your first four cards may be A 2 3 4, a golden start, but if the following three cards you receive are a pair of jacks and a king, then your hand melts into nothing. On the other hand, seven-card high stud presents situations where you're dealt lock hands for starters, such as the starting hand K K K. Regardless of future draws, these trip kings are heavily favored to win. Subsequent draws cannot diminish the inherent strength of those cards. In contrast, lowball hands which don't pan out die on the vine and become worthless.

To be competitive in seven-card lowball, you must, nonetheless, enter the betting with strong starting cards, ones that can go all the way. Following are the minimum opening or calling hands that should be played in Razz.

Seven-Card Low Stud • Minimum Starting Cards
Three-card 7-high or better (lower) Three-card 8-high with two cards valued 5 or lower Three-card 9-high with the other card as ace, 2, or 3 An ace plus a 5 or a lower card, and an odd card.

If you don't hold one of the above combinations, you must fold. You don't want to play underdog cards and contribute to other players' pots. If you can get a free ride into fourth street, take it, but hands of less than the above-mentioned caliber can-the blind, and no raises occur behind your position, you're already in-take the free card on fourth street.

Relatively low supporting cards in low poker are called smooth hands, such as the trey (3) and deuce (2) in the starting hand of 7 3 2, or the 4, 3, 2, and ace in the hand 8 4 3 2 A, a smooth eight. Hands where the supporting cards are relatively high are called rough, such as the 6 and 4 in the starting cards 7 6 4, called a rough seven, or the 7, 5, 4, and 3 in the hand 8 7 5 4 3, a rough eight. Smooth hands have greater possibilities than their rough counterparts.

You should play them more aggressively.
If you make an 8-high hand or a smooth 9 on fifth street, you're in a strong position. You can play forcefully against players still holding drawing hands. You should raise their drawing hands. You're the favorite, and you either want to force them out of the pot or make them pay for every card they try to buy. Play aggressively against weak players. They'll stay in too long with inferior hands. When you've got the goods, why not make your winning pot that much larger?

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The first three cards you receive in seven-card stud lay the groundwork for the future possibilities of your hand. Therefore, to build winners, you should stay in only with cards that have the right winning ingredients. Starting and staying with promising cards is especially important in seven-card stud, since the five betting rounds of this game add up to a lot of bets and raises. You want to give yourself every chance of winning.
These are the minimum starting cards you need to enter the betting in seven-card high stud:

Seven-Card High Stud • Minimum Starting Cards

Three-of-a-kind
Three-card straight flush
Three-card flush
Three-card straight
Pair of 10s or higher
Low or middle pair with ace or king kicker
Concealed pair with face card kicker
Three high cards with two-straight or flush

Starting cards of three-of-a-kind are powerful cards and are heavily favored to win. With these cards, you want to keep as many players in the pot as possible. Play low key on third and fourth street, calling bets but not raising. Later, on fifth street, if your opponents start showing threatening signs of flushes or straights, bet heavy. You should either force them out or make them pay for the privilege of trying to buy their hands. If your trips turn into a full house, however, you have nothing to fear from straights or flushes. You want them filling their straights and flushes—and how!

With three-card flushes and straights, call third street betting, but do not raise. In general, with poker strategies, it is prudent to raise only when you've either got the goods or are bluffing (and only under the right circumstances!) If your three-card straight or flush doesn't improve by fourth street, it's time to say goodbye. Fold the hand. The odds against filling it are getting too steep for the cost of calling bets and chasing cards for three more betting rounds. You must also fold medium pairs that haven't improved by fourth street if either a higher pair shows on board or raises precede your turn.

A key element in winning at seven-card stud, or at any poker game for that matter, is to lose as little as possible in the deals you don't win. You must fold hands which have not panned out or have become underdogs. Avoid the temptation to play "just one more card." That one more card costs money, and if it's not a sound call, it's a bet deducted from your overall winnings.

To be a winner, you must wager with the odds, not against them. And those odds are defined by the cards held vis-a-vis our opponents, not based on the hopes of what might happen "if." Again, when a hand's possibilities fade and it becomes second best, bury it.
One indicator of how powerful hands may be go-ing into the showdown is the intensity of the betting. If betting is heavy, with raises and re-raises, there is probably a reason. Expect to see strong cards at the show down. If betting is light, with just a few players left, the average winning hand will probably be less powerful than otherwise.
It is important to play alertly and be aware of all cards that are dealt open in seven-card stud. These cards provide lots of information on the possibilities of improving your hand or on the chances of an opponent improving his hand or having certain cards in the hole. For example, if an opponent holds an open pair of kings and earlier you saw two kings folded, you know that no matter what kind of luck that player has, there's no way he can buy a third king. On the other hand, you'll be more hesitant playing for a flush if you realize that six of the clubs you need have already been played. Heads up play is important in seven-card stud and will make a big difference toward more profitable winning sessions.

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Seven-card high-low stud is played similarly to the high or low seven card stud games. The major difference is that players are actually playing for two halves of the pot: half the pot goes to the player with the best high hand and the other half goes to the player holding the strongest low hand. If a player holds the best high and the best low hand, he will take the entire pot.

High-low seven-card stud is played as either declaration or cards speak. In declaration, which is predominantly played in private poker games, players declare at the showdown whether they're going for the high, the low, or the high-low end of the pot.
Declaration is accomplished by each player hiding a colored chip in his fist and extending his closed fist over the table. At a given signal, players simultaneously open their hands and reveal their declarations. White chips are usually used for a low declaration, blue chips for high, and red chips for high-low, though using coins or different color assign-ments will work just as well for the declaration.

Among the players who declared "high," the best high hand wins that half of the pot, while the best low hand among players who declared "low" takes the other half. If just one player calls "high" and the rest "low," the player declaring high automatically wins half the pot and need not show his hand, while the low callers must compete for their half with the best low total winning. And vice versa. If all players declare the same way, for example, all declare high, then the best high hand wins the entire pot. If all players declared low, then the best low hand claims the entire pot.

Players that declare "high-low" risk all, and must win both the best high hand and the best low hand or they forfeit the entire pot. It's an all or nothing proposition—they either win it all or lose it all. If a high-low declarer wins only one way, then he's out of the pot, and the best high hand and the best low hand split the monies.

Let's follow an illustrative showdown in a game being played as declaration. Five players remain: Donto, Fay, Julian, Eddie-boy, and Big Phil. The first three declare "high," the fourth "low," and the fifth, Big Phil, goes all out and declares "high-low." (Flavian has already folded and both he and his cigar watch passively from the sidelines.)

Here are the hands they hold:
Donto (Declared high) J* 10* 9* 8v 7*
Fay (Declared high) Kv K* K> 5+ 4v
Julian (Declared high) A* 10* 8* 6* 3#
Eddie-boy (Declared low) 7*6v4*3v2v Big Phil (Declared high-low) High: Ka 7 A 5a 4* 2*
Low: 7a 5* 4* 3* 2A
Big Phil's 7 5 hand is a stronger low than Eddie-boy's 7 6, but his king-high flush is weaker than Julian's ace-high flush. Therefore, Big Phil, unable to win both ways, loses his high-low declaration and wins nothing. Julian and Eddie-boy hold the best high and low hands respectively, and they split the pot. Had Big Phil declared "low" only, he would have won that half of the pot.

In cards speak, also called high-low split, the seven card high-low stud game played in the Nevada casinos, there is no declaration at the showdown. Players simply reveal their cards. The best high hand and the best low hand split the pot, or, if one player is fortunate enough to have the best high and low, he claims it all.

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In casino high-low seven-card stud, the lowest card opens the betting in the first round of play, and it's a mandatory bet. Thereafter, in all future rounds, the high hand acts first, and may begin play by checking or betting as desired.

PRIVATE AND CASINO LOW GAMES
In private seven-card low stud games, the player holding the lowest open card (the ace counts as the lowest card in low poker) acts first and must make the mandatory opening bet. Conversely, in the casino games of seven-card low stud, the highest ranking open card makes the required opening bet. There is no first round checking in these games either—players must call the opener, raise, or fold.

In all subsequent rounds, in the private and casino versions of seven-card low stud, the lowest ranking open hand acts first and may check or bet as desired. For example, a player showing 8 6 2 A on board, an 8 6 hand, opens against a player showing a pair of 6s, 6 6 3 2, while a 6 4 2 A board would open against a 7 3 2 A.

EXAMPLE GAME
Let's look at how the betting works in seven-card poker using a $5-$ 10 high stud game as an example. In the private game, the high-card player must make a set bet, in this case $5. If the game were $l-$2, the opener would be $1, and in a $15-$30 game, $15 would be the opener. Subsequent players must either call that $5 bet, fold, or, if they want, raise that bet by $5 to make it $10 to the next player. All bets and raises in this first betting round, called third street, are in $5 increments, the lower limit of the $5-$ 10 betting tier.

The casino $5-$ 10 game varies slightly. There, the forced opening bet, called the blind, is a $1 bet, and the first raise is $3 only. (These numbers may vary depending upon the casino, but they are always lower than the lower limit.) Thereafter, all bets and raises this round are in $5 increments. For example, if the opening $1 bet was raised $3 by the second player to act, the third player needs to call the $1 blind and the $3 raise, a total of $4 to stay in the pot. If the third player raises as well, his raise would have to be $5. The next player would need to call $9 worth of bets and raises to play.

When play returns to the opener in either the casino or private game, the opener must call all raises that succeeded his opener to stay in the game, as would any player who also had a raise follow his or her position. In the above example, the opener needs to call the $3 and $5 raises to play, while the second player, the first raiser, must call just the $5 raise.

The next betting round is called fourth street. Each active player receives a face-up card. Everyone now holds a total of four cards, two open and two closed. Play in this round, as in all future rounds, is the same in both the casino and private versions. It begins with the player holding the highest ranking hand on board (or, in low poker, the lowest ranking), and moves clockwise around the table. When two or more players hold identically ranked cards, the player closest to the dealer's left will play first.
All bets and raises this round are in $5 increments unless an open pair shows on board, in which case players can open with a $10 bet. From fourth street on, the opening player is not forced to make a bet. He may open betting by just checking. It is only on third street that an opening bet is required.

Once fourth street betting is concluded, another open card is dealt. Players now have a total of three face up cards in addition to their two down cards. This round is called fifth street, and all bets and raises on this round and on the following two rounds—sixth and seventh streets—are in $10 increments, the upper tier of the $5-$ 10 betting limit. (In a $3-$6 game, bets would be in $6 increments, and in a $15-$30 games, $30 increments.)

After fifth street betting closes, players receive their fourth open card. This next betting round is called sixth street, since all remaining players now have a total of six cards.

Seventh street is the next round, and each remaining player receives his last card face down. This is the final betting round in seven-card stud, and it's followed by the showdown. Each player chooses five cards out of the seven total he holds to form his best hand. In seven-card high stud, the best high hand wins, and in the lower stud version, the five best low cards will claim the pot.

Let's examine the showdown in seven-card high-low stud to see how it differs from the high and low stud variations.

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In casino versions of seven-card high stud, unlike in private games, the player holding the lowest open card must open betting. When two players have identically valued low cards, the player with the lower ranked suit plays first. For this purpose only, the suits are ranked in order of strength, beginning with spades, the highest, and followed in descending order by hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

For example, if the lowest cards showing are the 3* and the 3v, the 3* will open the betting. As in the private game, in the first round of play, the player who goes first is required to make an opening bet, and all following players, in turn, must call, raise, or fold. In subsequent rounds, the player holding the highest ranking open hand acts first, and he may check or bet to begin play.

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Following the shuffle and the cut, the cards are dealt in a clockwise direction beginning with the player to the dealer's left and continuing around the table, in order, until all players have received two closed cards and one open card. The two face down cards are called hole cards, as is the seventh card, also closed, that the player receives last.

All antes, if required, should be placed into the pot before the cards are dealt. Once an ante reaches the pot, it is like any other bet. It is the property of the pot and will belong to the eventual winner of the hand.

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