Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Rules
Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, also written Stud 8 or Eight or Better, plays exactly like Seven Card Stud with one change that reshapes every decision: the pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand. It rewards hands that can win in both directions, and it is one of the games in mixed rotations like HORSE.
The objective
You are trying to win as much of the pot as possible from your seven cards. Half the pot goes to the best five-card high hand and half to the best five-card low hand. Winning both halves at once is called scooping, and building hands that can scoop is what separates Hi-Lo from ordinary Stud.
The deal and the streets
There are no community cards and no button. Play moves through five streets, and the betting order is set by the cards showing on the table:
- Third Street: Two down cards and one up card to each player. The lowest up card pays the bring-in and betting opens.
- Fourth Street: A second up card. From here on, the highest hand showing acts first.
- Fifth Street: A third up card. Betting limits double from this street onward.
- Sixth Street: A fourth up card, so each player now shows four cards and hides three.
- Seventh Street: A final down card, dealt face down, followed by the last betting round.
Bring-in and betting
Stud Hi-Lo is usually played with fixed limits. Every player antes before the deal. On Third Street the lowest up card is forced to post the bring-in, and betting proceeds in small-bet increments through Fourth Street, then in big-bet increments from Fifth Street to the end. On every street after Third, the best hand showing acts first.
High-hand rankings
The high half uses standard poker hand rankings, strongest at the top. Only your best five cards count.
| Hand | Example |
|---|---|
| Straight flush | T♥ 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ |
| Four of a kind | K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 4♠ |
| Full house | Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 8♣ 8♠ |
| Flush | A♣ J♣ 9♣ 6♣ 3♣ |
| Straight | 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣ 5♦ |
| Three of a kind | 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ K♣ 2♠ |
| Two pair | J♠ J♦ 5♣ 5♥ 9♠ |
| One pair | T♦ T♣ A♠ 8♥ 4♦ |
| High card | A♠ Q♦ 9♣ 6♥ 2♠ |
The low hand and the "8 or better" qualifier
A qualifying low is five unpaired cards, all ranked eight or lower. Aces play low, and straights and flushes do not count against you. The best possible low is A-2-3-4-5, called the wheel.
You build the low from any five of your seven cards, chosen independently from your high hand. Read a low from its highest card down: 6-4-3-2-A beats 7-5-4-3-2 because six beats seven. If no player holds five cards eight or lower, there is no qualifying low and the high hand takes the whole pot.
Showdown and the split pot
After the final bet, remaining players show their cards. The best high hand takes half the pot and the best qualifying low takes the other half. One player can win both halves by making the best hand in each direction, or by winning high when no low qualifies. When a half is tied, that half is split again between the tied players, and any odd chip goes to the high side.
A worked example
Two players reach the showdown. Alice holds A♠ 2♣ 4♦ 5♥ 7♠ 9♦ K♣. Bob holds 8♥ 8♦ 6♣ 6♠ Q♥ J♦ 3♣.
For the high, Bob makes two pair, eights and sixes, which beats Alice’s ace-high. Bob wins the high half.
For the low, Alice makes 7-5-4-2-A, a qualifying eight-or-better low. Bob has no five cards all eight or lower, so he does not qualify. Alice wins the low half.
The pot is split: Bob takes the high, Alice takes the low. Neither player scooped, so each collects half.
Common variations
Razz is the pure low cousin, where only the lowest hand wins and there is no high or qualifier. Seven Card Stud is the high-only version with the same deal. Some home games spread Stud Hi-Lo with no qualifier, where the best low always wins half no matter how high the cards, but the eight-or-better rule is the standard used in casinos and in mixed games like HORSE and Eight-Game.
On SPN
Both the high and the low are evaluated automatically at showdown. SPN marks each street clearly, shows which hand is leading in each direction, and indicates when no qualifying low is present so the full pot goes to the high winner. Dealing is provably fair and the tables are bot-free.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "8 or better" in Stud Hi-Lo mean?
The low half of the pot is only awarded if a player holds five unpaired cards all ranked eight or lower. That is the "eight or better" qualifier. If no hand qualifies, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Can the same cards win both the high and the low?
Yes. You make your best five-card high hand and your best five-card low hand independently from your seven cards, and a card may be used in both. A hand like A-2-3-4-5 is both a five-high straight for the high and the best possible low.
How is the pot split when one player wins high and another wins low?
The pot is divided in half: the best high hand takes one half, the best qualifying low takes the other. When an odd chip remains, it goes to the high hand.
What is scooping in Stud Hi-Lo?
Scooping is winning both halves of the pot with one hand, either by making the best high and the best low at the same time, or by winning high when no low qualifies. Scooping is the goal that drives Hi-Lo strategy.
Do straights and flushes count against my low hand?
No. In the standard ace-to-five low used by Stud Hi-Lo, straights and flushes are ignored for the low and aces count as the lowest card. That is why A-2-3-4-5, the "wheel," is the strongest possible low.