Jennifer Harman
December 05, 2005 Stud-8 or Better is a great poker game & I recommend that you learn how
to play stud 8 poker. The rules are nearly identical to
regular 7-Card Stud poker, but there's one key difference. At
showdown, the pot is split; half is given to the player
with the best high, and half to the player with the best
low. In order to take a portion of the pot, a low hand
must have no card higher than an 8. If there is no
qualifying low, the high hand takes the entire pot in
stud eight.
With players aiming for both high and low hands,
Stud 8 invites a lot of action. But beginning players,
even those with some 7 Card Stud experience, often come
to a Stud8 table with a poor understanding of what
hands do well in this split-pot game.
To understand what types of hands you should play in
Stud-8 poker, you must grasp this key concept: In Stud 8,
you're looking to scoop pots. By scoop, I mean that you
want to take both the high and the low halves of the
pot. That's where you're going to make your real profit.
The starting hands that are most likely to make you
the sole winner of a big pot contain three low suited
connectors. For example, As-2s-3s and 4h-5h-6h have
great potential. They'll often make unbeatable lows and
have a flush or a straight to go along with them. So, if
you see a hand that starts with three low suited cards,
look to play it aggressively.
You should play hands with three low cards,
especially those that include an Ace. A starting hand
like Ac-2d-7c may not have potential to make a flush,
but there is a good chance that you'll create a solid
low. And the Ace gives you a shot at a decent high, with
something like Aces-up. Even a hand like 4-5-7 has
enough of an opportunity to make both straights and lows
to make it playable.
The major mistake that new Stud-8 players make is
that they play aggressively with hands that might serve
them well in a regular game of 7-Card Stud. For
instance, a hand like T-J-Q plays well when you only
need to be concerned about creating a high hand. But in
Stud-8, this is a hand that should be mucked. With no
chance of making a low, a player could find himself
chasing a draw that would only net half the pot. Those
sorts of situations will often lead to dreadful results.
Big pairs, like Jacks, Queens and Kings, are also
difficult to play in Stud-8 poker. A quick example will
illustrate the problem big pairs present. Say you're
dealt a Queen and a 7 in the hole, and another Queen as
your up-card, giving you a pair. After the betting on
third street, two other players remain, one showing a 5,
the other a 3. This appears to be a good situation for
you, as the other two seem to be looking for lows. But
then, on fourth street, the player who had a 3 catches
an Ace and you find a 9. Now you're in a very difficult
spot. The Ace might have helped your opponent's low draw
and perhaps added a straight draw to his hand. Or it
might have paired an Ace he had in the hole. It would be
difficult to know where you stand. Even if you were
ahead, you need to be concerned that your opponent will
pair the Ace or hit a straight before the end of the
hand.
If you're going to play big pairs in Stud-8, proceed
with caution. Be ready to dump the hand if one or more
of your opponents develop a scary board.
The later streets in Stud-8 poker can be lot of fun as
players try to figure out how their opponents' hands are
developing. It takes practice and experience to learn
how to become a
good Stud 8 poker player. But if you follow the suggestions
for starting hands I discussed here, you should be on
your way to playing Stud-8 poker games profitably.
Jennifer Harman
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