Poker Game Review - 7 Card Stud High Low

Seven Card Stud HiLo is a technically demanding game where the best poker hands for high and low split the pot at showdown.

Players are dealt seven cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best five-card hand possible for each player is used to determine the winner.

Seven Card Stud HiLo is played with an "8 or better" qualifier, which means that a hand must be, at worst, an 8 for low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot.

Before a game of Seven Card Stud HiLo starts, all players ante a nominal amount.

Betting Procedure

1. Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet. Action continues clockwise around the table until betting is complete for the round.
For the purposes of determining the bring-in, ties in card rank are broken by suit, with the order being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (in descending order).

2. Each player now receives an exposed card, called "Fourth Street". The first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value. This player may either check or bet. If no player shows a pair amongst his or her exposed cards, the bet will be a small bet. If any player shows a pair, the betting can be opened for a big bet.

3. Each player now receives another exposed card, called "Fifth Street". Again, the first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.
Note: Starting on Fifth Street and for the rest of the hand, all bets are in big bet increments.

4. Each player now receives another exposed card, called "Sixth Street". Again, the first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.

5. Each player now receives a seventh and final card, which is dealt face-down and known only to the player to whom the card is dealt. The first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player whose exposed cards have the highest poker value shows his or her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.