A good understanding of these basics is needed for all levels of competitive play:
Game Rules
Highest hand splits the pot with the lowest qualifying hand
To qualify for the low half of the pot, the low hand must be 8,7,6,5,4 or lower
Ace plays both high and low
Three raise limit per round
Cards speak
In this game the high hand winner must split the pot with the player with the best qualifying low hand. There is always a high hand winner but not always a low. For a hand to qualify for low, it must have five denominations no higher than an eight. Any five of your seven cards may be played for high and any five can be played for low. Aces are played both high and low. Straights and flushes do not disqualify a hand for low, so a player ending with 5 4 3 2 A would have an unbeatable low hand and a 5 high straight to play for high. This hand would have an excellent chance of winning both ways. In this example, the player could also have another hand that is higher than the 5 high straight to play for high.
The most important thing to keep in mind in split pot games is the big profit difference between winning half the pot and "scooping" it all. Beginners tend to think that winning two split pots is equal to winning one full pot. Not so at all from a profit point of view! Scooping the pot usually builds a healthy addition to your stack of chips. Getting half often puts you barely ahead of where you were before you started playing the hand. Winning Seven Card High Low players often have to settle for half, occasionally lose both high and low, but ALWAYS play only hands that have a good chance of winning it all. They never play for one side only unless they have an unbeatable one way hand or have a probable "escape" on seventh street. The second most important thing to do in Seven Hi/Lo is to get out EARLY when it looks like you don't have the best probable scoop hand! As soon as hands that start out with good possibilities for both high and low, turn into probable losers for either end, they should be folded unless they are almost certain winners for half of the pot. This also applies to strong high hands that are not an almost certain high end winner, that will probably have to split with a low.
Definitions:
HIGH CARDS: 9 up to A .
LOW CARDS: A up to 8. (Ace can be played as the lowest denomination or the highest).
SPLIT PAIR: Starting hand with one of your pair cards down and the other up.
CONCEALED PAIR: Starting hand with both of your pair cards in the hole and your side card kicker up.
WHEEL: (5 4 3 2 A). Can be played as the lowest possible hand, a straight for high or both.
DOOR CARD: The exposed upcard of a starting hand.
DEAD CARDS: Cards that have been revealed and no longer in the deck.
SCOOP: Win both high and low ends of the pot or win it all with a high hand when there is no low.
FAST PLAY: Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players out as possible.
Playable Starting Hands:
TRIPS: (QQQ). Fast play face cards. Just call with Aces and all others until fifth street, then play fast.
3 LOW to a STRAIGHT FLUSH: (7d 5d 3d)
3 LOW to a STRAIGHT: ( 6h 4s 2c)
3 LOW to a FLUSH: (3c 6c 8c). With these three similar hands, check-fold on the next card if you don't improve your straight or flush and are facing two or more better low hand draws.
3 LOW with an ACE: (8 4 A). Check-fold on the next card if you don't pair the ace and are facing two or more better low draws.
LOW PAIR with an ACE: (66 A)Check-fold on the next card if you don't get trips or pair the ace and are facing two or more better low draws.
HIGH PAIR/Aces and Faces: (AA KK QQ JJ). Play these fast, split or concealed, if they are not overcarded on the board. Continue fast until threatened by another high hand and don't have a good shot at low or a no-low scoop. Try to drive the weak low hands and high draw hands out.
NINES and TENS with an ACE: (99 A) (1010 A). Check-fold if you don't get trips or aces-over on the next card.
SLOW PLAY: Just check or call along to keep other players in the game and increase the pot odds.
CHECK-FOLD: Check when you can and fold if you are bet into. Gladly accept all free cards offered.
Strategy Tips:
The first four cards are a major key to winning
at Seven Card Stud games. If your starting hands develop according to plan, you can be a strong favorite to scoop the pot. If they don't, you get out early and escape the expensive second best experience. The three card starting hands recommended above are those with the best chance of producing a dominant four card hand. Good four card hands that are carefully played don't always win but they win a lot more than the others.
Beware of the paired door card.
If an opponent is playing a pair in his starting hand, and pairs his door card (first upcard), the odds are two out of three that the door card is part of his pair. A paired door card presents a strong possibility that the holder has a dangerous set of trips.
Bet your playable hands. As a general rule, usually bet rather than check hands that you would call if someone else were to bet. Many times your competitors are waiting for someone to bet so that they can fold. Normally only check hands that you intend to fold.
High Pairs increase in value over low draw hands when it is down to one or two competitors. When a high hand is heads up against a low draw, the high hand usually has the edge.
Watch the board closely for key cards
that can seriously diminish your chances of making a good hand. Don't play marginal starting hands like pairs, if both your pair cards and side card are completely "live" (none of your cards showing on the board). Also play low straights cautiously if your key cards are not live.
Keep track of the fives
both on the board and folded. This is a key card in all low straights.
Try to find reasons to fold
both your starting hands and those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card or two in the denomination that you need and for three or more dead cards in the suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition developing for the high and low prizes that you are after. When you can't find reasons to fold, you can then proceed more confidently.
Get caught bluffing once in a while.
It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are really strong and need the action.
Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent's upcards.
Be ready to adjust to game conditions.
For example, if you are in a game with a group of loose or novice players that hardly ever raise the opening bet and tend to check along until they get a decent hand, you might consider an unraised call with such hands as two suited wheel cards with an offsuit king kicker and a perfect board. Also, early steals sometimes work well when the game tightens up and you have not much more than than the scariest early board and raise the bet
|
