JV'S POKER ROOM

BY: John Vorhaus

If you've played any poker at all, then the two games you probably know for sure are draw poker (bet, draw, bet again) and seven-card stud. Well, if you haven't spent much time playing casino poker, you may be surprised to learn that draw poker isn't played at all in casinos anymore, and that seven-card stud, while still played, is frequently pushed aside by its more robust and intriguing cousin, seven-card stud, high-low split, eight or better for low. As that is a ridiculously long and cumbersome name, in this column we'll refer to it by its colloquial shorthand, seven-stud/8.

As you may recall from our discussion of Omaha/8, when we speak of an eight-or-better for low game (also known as an eight must), we're speaking of a game where the high hand splits the pot with the low hand, if the low is qualified; that is, if the low hand is comprised of five different cards valued eight or lower. No qualified low, the high hand wins the whole pot. By way of reminder, straights and flushes play for low, so that the best possible low is A-2-3-4-5, regardless of suit.

As in seven-stud high only, in seven-stud/8, each player starts with three cards, two down and one up. As in seven-stud high only, the lowest card is forced to open the betting for a minimum sum, such as $2 in a $5-10 fixed limit game. After the initial bring-in, each player in turn has the option of calling the $2, folding, or raising the bet to $5. Most of the time in high only, if you're forced to bring in the bet you're not all that happy, because you have the lowest card on the table and so, at least on the face of it, you start with the weakest hand.

Not so in seven-stud/8! Your low card may be the opening door to a real powerhouse low, so being forced to open the betting in seven-stud/8 is not the transitory tragedy that it is in seven-stud high only. A hand like (A-5) 2 (the cards in parentheses are your hole cards) would be a dismal bring-in in seven-stud, but are fine for seven-stud/8. Why? Because prized hands in seven-stud/8 are the ones that can scoop the whole pot. If you think about this for just a second, you'll see the logic of it, I'm sure.

Suppose you start with a hand like (K-K) Q. That's a big hand in seven-stud high, but in a high-low split game, you figure to win the whole pot only on those occasions when all of your opponents fail to complete their low draw. And then you'll only win a sizeable pot if they fail to complete late. If they brick out (miss their draw) early on, they'll just fold, and you'll be left with not much of anything.

On the other hand, suppose you start with a hand like (2-3) 4, or (46) 7. Now you have a hand with two-way potential. You're two cards away from a made low, and two cards away from a straight or a flush. Considering the second example, suppose you catch a perfect 5 on fourth street. At that point you have 16 cards that complete your low, eight cards that complete your straight and nine cards that complete your flush. And then, if you complete your low on the next card, you're freerolling for the high half of the pot.

Now you can see why those big cards lose so much value in seven-stud/8. You may be a big favorite with, say, two pair, but if you're up against a solid low draw, you can't protect your hand. The low draw will go all the way to seventh street, hoping to catch low and catch a low straight or a flush.

So here are your rules of thumb for expert-in-an-instant seven-stud/8 play:

1. Only play a powerful high hand if you're the only one going high and if there's lots of competition on the low side. Why? Because many people drawing to low means that a lot of low cards are already out, increasing your chances of scooping, and even if you have to settle for half the pot, a lot of people will have donated to your cause along the way.

2. Push your coordinated low cards hard. If you have three to a low straight or low flush, treat it as the powerful hand it is. After all, if you're going to scoop a pot, you want it to be a pot worth scooping. Raise! Keep pushing as long as you keep improving, and only slow down or surrender if you brick out.

3. Hands with aces are worth more. Since an ace can be either a high or a low card, aces in your hand are a very good thing. A starting hand like (A-3) 5, even if it's not suited, has a number of ways to grow into a two-way winner.

4. Don't play hands containing an 8. This sounds like a funny rule of thumb, I know, but think about it: If you have an 8 in your hand, you're naturally aiming for a high low (a low with 8 as your top card) or a low high (a pair or a set of 8s, or a straight containing an 8). In either case, you're vulnerable to better hands on both sides. You'll have to surrender this hand in the face of active betting in almost any case anyhow, so stay out of trouble by not getting involved in the first place.

If you'd like to learn more about the play of this fascinating game, I suggest you read 7-Card Stud (Hi-Lo Split, 8 Or Better), Book One by Andy Nelson. It tells the beginner everything he needs to know. You also might like to check out Wilson Software's Turbo Seven Card Stud 8 or Better for Windows. It a little pricey (list is $89.95), but like all good simulations, it saves you a lot of money over time by giving you the experience you need before you put your own cash in play.

Next time out, we'll tackle tournament poker. Till then, remember, "When you get the goods, bet the goods!"