Seven Card Stud 8 or Better Rules
Seven Card Stud 8 or Better is a split pot version of Seven Card Stud. In many cases there will be two winners in a hand. The first winner is the person that has the best five card hand as in normal Seven Card Stud. The other players will win the low pot. This is the player that has the best low hand. In Stud 8, there is a qualifier on the low hand. In order for a low hand to qualify, it must be 5 unique cards eight or below. Straights and flushes do not count against a low. The best low hand is a wheel, which is also a five high straight. Also, low straights and flushes can play for high. A player is also not required to use the same five cards to make both hands. If they have a pair of kings and a 7-low, they can use the two kings for high and the remaining cards for his low hand.
As in all stud games, each player must post an ante before the beginning of a hand. Afterwards, each player is dealt three cards. Two cards are down and one card is face up.
The player holding the lowest card is the forced bring-in bet. In the event two players share the same low card, the player with the lowest suit is the bring-in. The bring-in bet is usually double the size of the ante. In a $4-$8 Stud 8 game with a $1 ante, the bring-in would be $2. The bring-in has the option to complete the bet to the small bet amount. In our example, the small bet amount is $4. If the bring-in does not complete the bet, then any player at the table may complete the bet. Once a completion has been made, future raising for that round must be done in the small bet amount.
After Third Street betting, a second up cards is dealt. This is Fourth Street. At this point, the player with the high hand opens the betting. The high hand opens the betting from Fourth Street until showdown. One rule change from Stud to Stud 8 is that a double bet is not allowed on Fourth Street when there is an open pair. Otherwise, betting occurs as normal.
After betting concludes on Fourth, another up cards is dealt. This is Fifth Street. Betting will now occur in the large bet amount, which is $8 in our example. This will be the betting amount until showdown. After betting is completed, a fourth up card is deal, which is Sixth Street. After yet another round of betting, the final card is dealt face down to each opponent. One last round of betting commences and then showdown occurs.
The best five card hand wins half of the pot and if there is a qualifying low hand, that hand wins the other half. There are times where the same player has both the best high hand and the best low hand, such as if they have a wheel. They have the best low, and a five high straight. In the event there isn’t a qualifying low hand, the best five card hand wins the entire pot.