When playing 7 Stud hi/lo you have two options: to make the best high hand possible or to make the best low hand possible. The pot is split evenly between the two players making the high hand and the low hand, still there can be only one such winner. Both high hand and the low hand must be made up of five of the seven cards of which three are dealt face down and four are dealt face up. Considering that it doesn’t happen all the time someone to make a low hand, in such a situation the pot is won by the player with the best high hand.

A low combination

A low hand is based on five cards of different ranking, equaling eight or below, with the only one mention that Ace is one. The best low hand has the smallest high card, A2345 and the worst is 45678. Atention must be paid to the fact that the highest card is more important than the lowest card. For instance A2347 is not so good as 23456. In case the highest card is the same, the next card is taken into consideration and then the next and so on. The pot is not split unless the combinations are perfectly equal. In order to make a low hand in 7Stud hi/lo a player must have five cards of different ranking, equaling eight or below from the seven cards he is dealt.

Ante

An „ante” is a mandatory amount that each player must post before each hand. This „ante” is also used in some final phases of texas hold’em tournaments.

Bring-in

Is the amount payed in the first betting round by the player having the lowest up card. This forced bet may be replaced by an ordinary one that is twice this bring-in, in case the respective player wants to do so.

Betting Round

During a betting round, each players acts when it’s his turn, at least one time, clockwise. There are a few actions you may choose from. When no bet has been made on the respective round you may pass on without raising the stake (check) or you may make a bet (bet). When someone before you has bet, you may give up and quit the game (fold), pay the same amount (the same bet) for going on (call) or you may increase the amount bet (raise).
There are five phases in a 7 Stud hi/lo hand, each of them being followed by a betting round.

Third Street

The game starts after each player posts the ante. Each player receives two face down cards and one up card. When all players have these three cards, the player with the lowest up card must start the betting round. He or she may choose from posting the bring-in or betting twice this amount. After this, the clockwise betting continues. When the betting round ends they pass on to the Fourth street.

Fourth Street

Each player left in the game receives another up card. This time the player having the best combination of two up cards starts the betting round (a pair of Aces is considered to be the best possible combination). After this round of betting they pass on to the Fifth Street.

Fifth Street

Each player left in the game receives another up card. The player having the best combination of three up cards starts the betting round. After this round, the players pass on to the Sixth Street.

Sixth Street

Once again, each player left in the game receives an up card. The player having the best combination of four up cards starts the betting round. After this round, the players pass on to the Seventh Street.

Seventh Street

The final card is dealt to all players left in the game, and this time is down card. In case there are eight players left in the game at the end there would not be enough cards, so a community card will be dealt to the center of the table to be used by all players. The same player who started the previous round starts the betting this time too.

The Showdown

Now all players show their cards to determine the winner of the big pot. In case there is no low hand the winner is the player who has made the most valuable combination of five cards by using any of the seven cards he was dealt. In case one or mare than one players have made a low hand the pot is split by all winners. Attention! Only the players left in the game show their cards. A 7 Stud hand may come to an end during each of the betting rounds, when all players except one give up to their cards. In this case, the only player left in the game wins the pot no matter what cards he has. Also, he may choose whether he shows his cards or not.

When two or more players have the same combinations (with the same value) the pot is split evenly. Still, the two parts of the pot have a clear destination: half goes to the high hand winner(s) and half to the low hand winner(s). For instance: if there are two high hand winners and a low hand winner, the two players with the high hand will share half of the pot and the low hand winner will receive the other half of the pot.