Seven Card Stud 8 or better also recognized as Seven Card Stud hi-lo. 2 or 8 poker players play this split pot game of hi-lo limits. In a usual game of 7 card stud poker, every player has to deal with the total number of seven cards in which, three will be facing down and four will be facing up.
Object of gaming
Making the best hand of five cards of high limit as well as the best hand of five cards of low limit with the use of some combinations of all the 7 cards is the main objective of this game. Player having the best hand of high limit will be the winner of half of the pot whereas the player having the best hand of low limit will be the winner of another half of the pot. The player having the best hand of high limit will win whole of the pot if there would not be any player qualifying for low hand. All the five cards that are 8 or lower than 8, where an ace will be counted as the least will make the qualifying hand of low limit. A flush and/or a straight can be there in a low hand but no pair. A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest hand most possibly. 8-7-6-5-4 is the most possibly qualifying low hand. It is to be noted that it is known as scooping the pot when winning both the hands i.e. the high as well as the low hand.
Forced Bets
Ante
7-card stud poker is usually played with an amount of ante, which is around 1/5 of the betting amount of low limit. Prior to begin the hands, all players should ante up and the ante would not be counted towards any betting in future.
Bring-in
Following the first deal when all players showing 1 card, a player have to bring-in who is having the lowest card, which reflects that he has to place the betting amount of low limit. If the lowest card is shared by equivalent or more than two players
After the initial deal when every player has 1 card for showing, the player having the least numbered card has to bring in, which reflects that he have to put a low limit betting amount into the pot. If the lowest card is shared by equal or more than two players, the player who is nearest to the left side of the dealer has to bring in. This would be counted as the first round of betting, so until anybody raises, one must not put any additional amount into the pot in order to look the subsequent card.
Rounds of betting
There include 5 betting rounds. In limit poker game of 7-card stud, every bet and raise should be equivalent to either the amount of betting in low limit, or in high limit, which would be depended on the prevailing round of betting. In two initial rounds i.e. 1st and 2nd rounds of betting, every bet and raise should be equivalent to the amount of betting in low limit. In last three betting rounds i.e. the 3rd, 4th and 5th round of betting, every bet and raise should be equivalent to the amount of betting in high limit.
Showdown
Any player who hasn’t folded his hand later to the final round of betting now has the opportunity to show his hand in the hope of winning the pot. Player betting lastly will be the first one to show his hand. The game proceeds in the clockwise direction with all the players remaining for choosing to show or muck their hand. Players usually muck their hand when there is less possibility to win the pot as they do not wish their opponents to be acquainted with their cards.
