7 Card Stud Hilo Strategy

Since there are two main objectives in 7 Card Stud Hilo I will break this article up into two sections; low hand strategy and high hand strategy. Technically the "main objective" in Stud HL is to win both pots but that is only possible a small percentage of the time, especially if you are playing at a full ring table. Winning the low hand by default (when no one qualifies) is quite common though so I will put more emphasis on the high hand strategy. I have added some links to some other important Seven Card Stud Hilo strategy articles below. I cannot fit every single tip/strategy into this one article so I have broken this strategy guide up into several sections.

• 7 Card Stud Hilo Rules
• 7 Card Stud Hilo Hand Selection
• Stud Hilo At Pokerstars

High Hand Vs Low hand - Stud Hi-Lo Strategy

This is where novice players tend to make the most mistakes, the same is true in Omaha HL. Players tend to undervalue strong hands. If you asked 100 Stud Hi-Lo players if they would rather start with 234 or KK7, most would pick 234. 234 is certainly an excellent starting hand in Stud Hilo but if you don't get two more (non-pairing) low cards, you won't qualify. KK7 on the other hand gives you an excellent chance of winning both pots. The player with 234 has less than a 50% chance of qualifying for the low hand. Unless he somehow catches a high hand, he will lose the entire pot, over 50% of the time. This is just simple math but here is why it is so important:

• 234 - This player will likely raise initially. If he catches another low card on 4th or 5th street he will likely re-raise any bet.
• KK7 - You are not guaranteed the high pot but in a heads-up match against 234, your odds of at least winning the high hand are 73%. When you take into consideration that the other player only has a 50/50 chance of qualifying for the low hand, this puts you in a very strong position. Most players will just call the other players bets thinking it will be a split pot, or that they could lose the entire pot if the other player catches a straight. The point is this: When you get dealt a strong starting hand, play it very aggressively. The other player is only showing a 4, unless he has two more of them or pocket rockets, you are the favorite by a long shot.

2+ Low hands Vs Your High hand

This scenario will repeat itself time and time again in 7 Card Stud Hilo. If you have a made high hand, like two pair, and the other players are "representing" low draws, you should be betting and raising in most cases. Here is an example:

• Player 1: (2h-3d) - 4s - 8h - 10d
• Player 2: (3s - Ah) - 7d - 8d - 9c
• You: (Ks - 3c) - Kh - Jh - 3h

This is a tricky scenario because it seems likely that someone will qualify, but does that really matter? So long as there are 2 other players, you statistically have 3/1 odds on getting a 50% return on your investment. Roughly 25-30% of the time in this scenario, no one will qualify, giving you a 200% return on your investment. Since the odds are stacked in your favor, bet big! Players tend to play hands like this very passively, just calling bets and waiting to see what the other players get on 6th street. Now is the time to raise if you ask me.

The low hand - Stud Hi-Lo Strategy

As I mentioned earlier, most players overvalue low hand draws. I tend to play low hand draws in Stud HL conservatively, unless I have a possible high hand. The number of other players in the hand, their skill levels, dead cards, position and other factors should be taken into consideration as well though. In a HU match, I will usually fold in a situation like this, assuming the other player makes a bet. It is just not worth chasing a draw, only to win 50% of the pot. My odds of qualifying are only 50%, so playing this hand out in a heads-up scenario would not be good.

• Me: (2h-4s) - 7h
• Other Player: (x-x) - Qh

• 7 Card Stud Hilo

• 7 Card Stud Hilo Rules

• 7 Card Stud Hilo Strategy

• Stud Hilo At Poker Stars