I am a semi experienced player of this game, but I do have an idea of how 7-Stud Hi-Lo should be played. I would like to pass on the little I have learnt, mainly for the benefit of those forum members wanting to play in the upcoming HORSE game who may know less than me, so please do not treat the following as being definitive.
I thought a Question and Answer format would be appropriate:
Q. What type of starting hands should be played?
A. That depends on the amount of players in the game. You should always play only those hands which are likely to result in a scoop of the entire pot. At a table of between five to eight players you should mostly be trying to build hands that will be in contention to win both High and Low. Once it gets down to four players or less you should mostly be aiming to make a high hand.
Q. So, which specific starting hands should be played when there are at least five players at the table?
A. Three low cards (eight or under) to a straight/flush/straight flush; trips; three low with an ace (difficult hand to play); pair of aces with a low card; two low and one high card to a flush; three cards to a high straight flush. If playing at a tight table you can play low paired hands such as 447, 556, 66A etc.
Q. Which starting hands should be played at a table of four players or less?
A. Paired hands as for a tight table above; trips; high pairs, especially a pair of aces with high kicker; 99A; 1010A; . All of these hands can also be played at a table that is very tight.
Q. Which hands should not usually be played?
A. High straights and high flushes; unconnected low cards without an ace or flush possibilities; 99X; 1010X.
Q. How do I play the above starting hands at a full table?
A. It all depends on what cards the other players are showing. If you see five low cards (including your door card), your chances of making a low are slim. If you have AA5 and you see another ace and a five at the table, your chances for high are slim. You need to be playing live cards with plenty of outs.
Q. So how should the betting go if I decide that my starting hand is a possible contender for a scoop of the pot?
A. Either complete/raise the bet with a door card ace or fold. Otherwise just call. Completing or raising the bet if there is an ace in front of you, and just calling if there is an ace behind you is the “advanced” play.
Q. How do I proceed on fourth street?
A. Usually fold if you do not improve your hand on fourth street. If you started with three to a low, and you failed to catch a fourth, check and fold. If you started with AAx and fail to make aces up or trips, check and fold. If you failed to catch low to your high card flush draw, fold. If you have a draw to a good low, bet or raise aggressively until the river unless a better low is likely or raising will make the high draws fold. Or you may feel more comfortable just checking and calling to see what fifth street brings. Usually just call with a flush or straight draw, but be aggressive with two pair or trips.
Q. And on fifth street?
A. Look around the table to see who has hit and who hasn’t. Check if any upcards were needed to help your hand. Bet your two pairs, trips and lows/low draws unless there are much better hands showing, such as a pair of Aces (or any likely trips) or suited/straightening lows. Watch the action (and the players) to get clues as to the kinds of hands out. If good for low, reraise any callers for high if they will call you. If good for high, make low draws pay to hit their low. Just call with flush and straight draws that may not also make a low. Obviously bet a made straight or flush unless slow playing is preferable.
Q. What about sixth street?
A. Same as fifth street, but more so.
Q. And seventh?
A. If good only for high, do not reraise a made low unless a worse high is also in, and the low won’t also be a high. If good for low reraise the highs to the max.
Q. How do I play if it is shorthanded?
A. Aim mostly for high hands. Complete the bring-in more often, especially heads-up.
Q. Anything else I should know?
A. Be alert. Use commonsense. Be aggressive when you need to be, but know when to slow down and fold when your hand fails to hit the cards it needed. Bet with only your scary looking upcards when the game is tight. Be patient.