Advanced Player Tips

If you're a H.O.R.S.E. player and need help improving your Stud 8 game, then we've got all the strategy you need right here, such as playing style and starting hands

Seven Card Stud High Low is a popular game, especially when it comes to H.O.R.S.E., yet it is generally also a player's worst game. Whether you don't understand it or simply lack a winning strategy, you can use the following advice to improve your game and even take home the pot if you stick to it.

Rule 1 – Always maintain a strong hand when drawing to half the pot!
- The main idea in Stud 8 games is to scoop, and to do so you will need a high hand.
- Strong hands in Stud 8 should be able to win both ways, which is why cards like 7 are best.
- If you cannot get a decent low hand, ditch it and go straight for the high hand.

Rule 2 – Always play Trips that are rolled up quickly!
- Rolled up means having three of a kind on your first 3 cards
- If you receive rolled up Trips, you should always raise unless you know for certain that another player can defeat you. Keep betting as long as you are sure of yourself (and rolled up Trips is definitely a reason to be!).
- The reason you want to play rolled up Trips fast is so that you can snatch a quad and pursue it!

Rule 3 – Beware of raises or multiple bet calls for strange hands!
- Strange hands can sometimes be threatening in that they can scoop or maintain a strong low. They should therefore be taken seriously and approached cautiously!
- Defining a strange hand in Seven Card Stud High Low is tricky, but could include:
o A player with a 9 three-betting on 3rd Street
o A player with only a 2 who then snatches up 2 paint cards and raises on 5th Street, or having buried Aces.

Rule 4 – Always avoid heads-up play after 3rd Street if you have a one-way hand!
- Players who draw heads-up to one way hands in Seven Card Stud High Low are making one of the game's worst mistakes because they are risking a lot of money.
- In such cases, several players should still be in the game so that the odds can remain on your side.
- Remember that Stud 8 offers many opportunities to take advantage of weaker players!