7-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Eight or Better)

7-Card Stud Hi/Lo is a split-pot variant of 7-Card Stud. The procedures of the game are dealt exactly the same with the only difference being that, rather than being only one winner at showdown, the best "High" and the best "Low" (Eight or Better) hands will split the pot.

In 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, players use their cards to create their best five-card hand and, if applicable, their best “Eight or Better” hand. Straights and flushes do not count against you when determining the low.

The “Lo” or Low Hand:

In Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, the low hand is played with an “Eight or Better” qualifier. This means the low hand must be, at worst, an eight-low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Stud Hi/Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ ranking for Low hands. Straights and flushes do not count against the hand, and Aces are low. The best possible hand is a "wheel": 5, 4, 3, 2, A. To help understand the ranks of low hands, the following sample qualifying low hands are ranked from most powerful (#1, the best possible hand) to least powerful (#10, worst possible Low hand):

1. 5 4 3 2 A

2. 6 4 3 2 A

3. 6 5 4 3 2

4. 7 5 4 3 2

5. 7 6 5 2 A

6. 8 6 4 2 A

7. 8 7 6 5 4

Note that a low hand is always ranked from its highest card downwards. For example, hand #2 is known as a ‘Six-low’ because its highest card is a Six. Hand #5 is a ‘Seven-low’. In poker slang, you distinguish between close low hands by going further down the ranks, so hand #2 would be called a ‘Six-Four low’, which beats hand #3 a “Six-Five low”.

Also remember that straights and flushes do not count against your low hand, so making a qualifying low that is also a straight or a flush is a very powerful hand which could win both the High and Low halves of the pot. This is known as a ‘Scoop’.

The Deal and Betting Rounds:

Please click the link below for a refresher on how the game is dealt:
7-Card Stud

Determining the Hi and Low Winners:

The player(s) with the best five-card high hand and the best (‘Lo’) hand(s) split the pot. If no hand qualifies for low, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Remember that in Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, there is an ‘eight or better’ requirement to win the low, so a player must have an unpaired, five-card hand that consists of cards all being Eight or lower. If no player can meet this requirement, there is no qualifier for low.

Additional Stud Rules:

If there is an odd chip when the pot is split amongst the High and Low hands, odd chip will be awarded to the High hand. If two or more players tie for the High or low hands and there is an odd chip in their half of the pot, odd chip will be awarded to the highest high card in their winning five-card hand.