Poker rules explained

Get the information you need to start playing seven card high-low qualify eight poker and begin to master the game with two chances of winning!

Although Seven card high-low stud poker is a technically challenging game it can be mastered with practise and a basic understanding of the rules. In this game the player with the highest hand splits the pot with the lowest qualifying hand. For a low hand to qualify, it must total eight or lower. If there is no qualifying low hand, then the highest winning hand will scoop the entire pot.

In this game the ace can be played both high and low and any five of a player's cards can be played for both high and low hands. For example, a player holding the cards 5,4,3,2,A would have an unbeatable low hand as well as having an excellent chance of winning the high hand as a five high straight. Straights and flushes do not disqualify a hand from low.

Basic betting procedure:

1) Each player is dealt two cards face down (hole cards) and one card face up.
2) The player with the lowest up card makes a forced bet. In the case of a tied lowest card, the suit determines the rank of the card. The suit order (highest to lowest) is spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs.
3) Play then begins clockwise round the table, with each player choosing to call the opening bet (they match the original bet placed), raise (they increase the bet) or fold, where they hand their cards back to the dealer and take no further part in the game. Bets in this round would be at the lowest increment ($2 in a $2/$4 game).
4) All players then get dealt a fourth card face up and this round is called "fourth street". For this round and subsequent rounds, the player with the highest up card is always the first to check, raise or fold.
5) A fifth card is dealt ("fifth street"), again face up. In this round the betting is increased, so in a $2/$4 game, the bets must be in increments of $4.
6) A sixth card is dealt face up ("sixth street"), followed by another round of betting.
7) A final seventh card is dealt face down and is known only to the recipient player, before a final round of betting takes place.
8) The dealer then determines which hand is the winning high and which is the winning low before awarding the pot. With some careful attention to play and the rules, there is every possibility of the same player walking away with both pots!