Tips on hand selection in 7 card stud hi/lo

I am going to play in a home game tonight, but they want to play 7 card hi/lo, which everyone seems ok with, but I've never played 7 card Stud Hi/lo. Just Omaha Hi/Lo and Razz, and reg 7 card.

Any pointers? What are great hands, marginal hands, toss em hands, etc

I'm relatively new to H/L, but since you've never played I guess I can give some advice. Obv. low straights and flushes are where all the money is. I throw alot of hands out on 4th street. Holding on to high pairs that haven't become trips is dangerous. Two low pairs early is usually just a losing trap. Probably only want to be aggr. with big 2 way draws or high or low absolutely wrapped up because there are so many hands that will hang around and improve.

Your goal is to scoop the pots so your looking to play lower cards then normal, the only exception to that really depends on what everyone is showing for example I dont know how many people are playing in you game but if it is 5 handed or less at any given time you can play your big cards if the majority of the others are also showing big cards up, but need to play them aggressively. A good guide line to follow if it is more then 5 handed I look to start with three cards under 7. That is my number one rule when playing if i dont have three cards under 7 I am folding. My next rule will dictate how aggressive I play my hand if I have three under 7 and they are connected or suited I am going to complete the first bet. Rule three if I have three under 7 with an ace I will also complete the bet. Rule four if I have three cards under 5 I am going to re raise the intial bets to create value to draw at what would be my best scenario a wheel (A,2,3,4,5). Always re-raise if you have three under 7 and they are suited!

starting Hands to raise and re raise with: A23,A24,A25,A34,A35,A45,234,235,345

starting hands to complete first bet and call completion: A26,A27,A36,A37,A46,A47,A56,A57,A67,456,567,

starting hands to call with: 236,237,346,347,356,357,367,457,467

I THINK I COVERED THEM ALL HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS YOU

Thanks!

good luck, I need to find a home game, have fun. You should do fine with stud experience, I find that game harder.

Back in 04' My then boyfriend (now husband) were attending a wedding in Tampa. He was and still is a poker fanatic, so he made sure we stayed at the Hard Rock casino on the reservation there, so he could play holdem. Well, i wanted to play too, so he quickly explained 7 cd stud to me while we waited in line to register at thes 1-2 tables. (He thought it was easier than holdem I guess) I purchased 60 in chips and sat down nervously.

One guy asked me if i even knew how to play (i must've looked THAT nervous). The whole table (which was filed with old farts) was really nice UNTIL i hit three full houses in a row, follwed by trip kings, and some other two pair. Then they hated me. I walked away with 150. They clapped when i left, but i think it was more sarcastically then anything else.

So 7 card stud is my lucky game and I wish I saw it more often in the tourney schedules.

I'm pretty much a novice at 7 card stud H/L, but the High/Low element bears some correlation to Omaha H/L... you want hands which can scoop, rather than hands that will split the pot.
Only Trips in your first 3 cards is really strong enough for a high-only hand. You'd be raising early to push out low draws, because if you can push out all the potential low hands, then you may scoop.
Any 3 cards 8 or lower give a reasonable shot at hitting a low hand, but as mentioned above the lower the cards the better, so maybe 3 cards to a 7-low is a better rule to follow, at least initially. Additionally, there should be something going for them for the high end as well.
This means you're looking at 3 suited cards, running cards, etc. Hands with an Ace gain value as well, because if you end up just against other hands that are 'going low', then you may back into a pair of Aces or 2 pair or the like to beat other low-only hands to take the high end. Additionally, if its suited, then it stands to make a better flush, also adding to the value of the hand.

Regardless of the starting hand, you'll need to figure out as best you can whether your opponents have high, low or 2-way hands, and look for signs that your hand has been beaten or your chances of improving diminished. If you think someone was going low, and they catch paint, then they may now consider folding, so how you play the later streets depends very much on the other up-cards as well as the cards in your hand.

Gee, this looks like more fun game now that I have some tips on it.. I am going now to find one and try my luck. I love the Poker Strategy articles. Poisme

Discard the notion that high pocket pairs are good in Stud H/L. Aces are about the only good hand, but always beware of other people's boards. If they start showing up with low cards, slow down!