Stud Poker Variations: Eight or Better High / Low Stud
There are many different types of stud poker, and one of the most common forms is “Eight or Better High/Low Stud” (otherwise known as “Seven Eight Poker” or “Stud Eight Poker”). Chances are, if you’ve already played Seven Card Stud Poker, or are familiar with the “Omaha” style of play; then you’ll know what to do here as these games play almost the same.
One of the more notable differences (and unique factor) in this game is how the pot is split. When it comes to splitting the pot between two players in Eight or Better High/Low Stud, it is shared between the player with the highest poker hand, and the player with the lowest poker hand. This split is done using the ace-to-five low values (meaning for the low end, straights and flushes do not count.)
When playing Eight or Better High/Low Stud poker, you have to win low with your hand (in other words, if you have a low hand, you have to stay in until the end to win.) The betting is comparable to how one would play regular Stud Poker, except the low card on the first deal will usually pay a bring-in. The rules change up in the following rounds requiring the player with the highest showing hand to bet.
If a High-Low game is played as eight or better (as the name of this game suggests); a player’s low hand cannot have a card that is higher than 8 in it. For example, if a hand had the following cards in it: Ace through 5, this would be a great low, even more so if all the cards were in the same category (such as diamonds). This sort of hand is known as a “Wheel”, the lowest possible hand.
If a player had something that contained an 8 through 4 in their hand, this would be one of the worst qualifying lows to get. Something to help out the player, however, is remembering that straights and flushes are not going to count against the player, making for a nice advantage.
With this game, there is no high or low hand necessary for a showdown. Players have the option to select their own subset of five cards to play for high and low hand. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand will take (or “scoop”) the entire pot.
As a side note, this variation is one of those games that plays far more easily with a bug (otherwise known as a “wild card” or “Joker”) or two in the deck.
While some of these high/low variants can be a little tricky to master, with continued practice and play, the concepts should become more apparent for use with your playing style - actually, many people like the “low hand” component of this game, as it allows those of us with perpetually low hands (me) a shot at winning for once!
