7 Card Stud Hi/Lo

Event Overview – SEVEN CARD STUD HI/LO

These rules are to be used in conjunction with ‘Robert’s Rules of Poker’. Where there is a discrepancy between these rules and Robert’s Rules of Poker, these rules shall take precedence.

Tom Brucato reserves the right to:

·               Make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling.

·               Change these rules at any time before the first hand of the preliminary round is dealt.  Any changes will be broadcast to all participants prior to the beginning of the tournament.

THE GAME

The game is SEVEN CARD STUD HI/LO.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• • Maximum number of players – 18

  • Minimum number of players - 2

  • Chip Value:

    • White    25

    • Red       50

    • Green    100

    • Blue       250

    • Black     500

BUYIN/REBUY/ADD-ON

• • The initial buy-in is $50.  This will purchase 4000 in tournament chips.  These chips have no monetary value. 

  • A player may purchase an add-on any time before the first hand of the 6th level is dealt.

  • Add-ons are $25 and will purchase 2000 in tournament chips.

  • Each player is allowed up to 1 (one) add-on in this tournament.

SEATING

• • Table assignment and seating will be determined prior to the start of the tournament by random drawing. (However, in the event that we have more than one table, and based on the random drawing, one of the tables does not have a player who is very versed in the rules, betting structure, and dealing procedures, the tournament director reserves the right to redraw the tables).

  • Button position will be determined by the random assignment of seat #1. Seat #1 will be the first to deal.

  • If we have in excess of 8 players at the start of this event we will use two tables.

  • If the tournament began with two tables, as soon as the remaining players equal 7, we will combine the two tables and have one table of 7 players.

  • When the difference in the number of players at the two tables is greater than 1 then a player must move from the bigger table to the smaller table. It will be the player who is on the right of the dealer.

Seven Card Stud Poker

 Ante and Betting Schedule

*DEALER ONLY ANTE

In Rounds designated Dealer Ante only, only the player designated the dealer will post the ante. In all other stages all players will post the ante. The deal will begin in seat #1 and move clockwise one player position at the end of each hand. A player going "All-in" from this Dealer-Ante position is only eligible to win back their ante.

SEVEN-CARD STUD HI/LO GENERAL RULES

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo plays out the same as regular Seven Card Stud, but at the end of the game the pot is split amongst the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest hand. This is known as a split pot.

Your hand is determined by using the best five of seven cards for your high hand and your best five of seven cards for your low hand (if you qualify for low).

The game is played like Seven Card Stud with the exception being if someone qualifies for "Low", the pot is split.

The 'High' hand:

In Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, a 'high hand' is simply a regular 5 card poker hand, the highest of which wins that half of the pot.

The 'Low' hand:

A 'low hand', as the name implies, is just that - the lowest possible hand, which takes the other half of the pot. While it's somewhat self explanatory, there are some rules as to what constitutes a low hand:

·         A low hand must consist of 5 cards that are each valued 8 or lower. (thus the name '8's or better')

·         A low hand cannot contain any pairs. (that doesn't mean you can't have a pair in your seven cards, just        that you cannot have a pair or better in your 5 cards played as a low hand.)

·         Straights and flushes do not count in a low hand.

When a player does not have 5 cards that are 8 or lower, they do not 'qualify' to play a low hand. If at the end of the hand, no remaining players qualify for a low hand, the entire pot goes to the player with the highest hand rather than being split.

You don’t have to qualify on the "High" side - the best hand automatically wins half the pot and could win the whole pot. To win the "Low" side, however, qualifying is required.

Lo hand cannot contain any pairs or cards higher than 8. The Lo hand with the lowest ranking card wins.

Players may use any 5 of their 7 cards to make their hand.

The best possible low hand A,2,3,4,5. If they're all suited it's still the lowest hand, despite the fact that as a high hand it plays as a straight flush (remember, flushes and straights do not count as low).

Playing for both sides:

You can play any 5 cards from your 7 available cards as your high hand, and any 5 cards as your low hand. They can be the same cards, or they can be different for each hand.

In the above example, an A,2,3,4,5 of the same suit is both the lowest hand possible (known as the 'wheel') and a straight flush for high, both using the same cards.

As a different example, a Seven Card Stud hand such as: A♠, A♦, 2♥, 4♠, 5♣, 6♥, K♣ would play a different 5 cards for high hand than those for low, played respectively like so:

High Hand: A♠, A♦, 5♣, 6♥, K♣

Low Hand: A♠, 2♥ 4♠, 5♣, 6♥

The First round:

A fresh table starts off with the dealer posting the "ante" (putting a predetermined amount in the pot before the cards are dealt).

In Seven-card stud poker, players receive seven cards, three "down" cards and four "up" cards.

After the antes have been placed, each player is dealt three cards (two "down" cards and one "up" card). The "up" card is also known as the "door card" or "Third Street".

The lowest "up" card must initiate the action with a "bring-In" bet. The subsequent player can fold, call the “bring-in”, or complete the “bring-in” by betting up to (or if equal, raising) the first bet. (If two or more players have the same lowest card, the person who brings it in is determined by who received the lower card first).

Each round is allowed one bet and three raises in each betting round. To continue to play, players must take an action from what is displayed to them on each "street" or betting round (unless they are all-in). 

The Second Round:

After the first round of betting, the top card is burned, and another card is dealt face-up to each player that still remains in the pot (those who didn't fold on "Third Street"). This is "Fourth Street" (the second round of betting). From "Fourth Street" on, the highest hand showing begins the action by checking or betting. If a pair is showing on "Fourth Street", players have the option to make a single or double bet. If a player makes a single/double bet, the other players may call, raise the single bet, raise the double bet or fold. In case of a double bet, only an equal amount can be raised (to the extent of the double bet).

The Third Round:

Upon completion of the betting on "Fourth Street", the top card is burned, and another card is dealt face-up to those who remain in the pot. This is called "Fifth Street" (the third round of betting - which doubles (the value of each bet is double of what was available in the first two rounds) - and continues at this amount for the remaining betting rounds). The highest hand showing again starts the action by checking or betting.

The Fourth Round:

Upon the completion of betting on "Fifth Street", the top card is burned, and another card is dealt face-up. This is "Sixth Street" (fourth betting round).

The Fifth Round:

The top card is burned, and the final card is dealt down. The last card is also known as the "River Card" or "Seventh Street" (final round of betting).

Some standard rules

A maximum of four bets, which includes one bet, and three raises are allowed for each betting round per player. To continue to play, players must take an action from what is displayed to them on each "street" or betting round (unless they are all-in). The term cap is used to describe the final raise in a round since betting is then capped and no one can make another raise. Once capped, players will have the option of calling or folding only. Folding can be done at any stage of the game. The action of folding basically shows the player cards being moved to the dealer. The player from then on would not be considered as part of the game. He/she would not have any rights over any pots created on the table.

Poker is typically played "table stakes", meaning only the chips in play at the beginning of each hand may be used throughout the hand. This means that the player cannot get additional funds from the cashier while he is in the midst of a game. The table stakes rule has an application called the "All-In" rule, which states that a player cannot be forced to forfeit a hand because the player does not have enough chips to call a bet.

Exceptions to the value of betting in each round:

A player who does not have enough chips to call a bet is declared All-In. The player is eligible for the portion of the pot to the point of his final wager. All further action involving other players takes place in a "side pot", which is unavailable to the player who has already gone All-In. When a player goes All-in, the pot currently at the center of the table, which has contributions from him/her as well, is treated as the main pot, over which the All-in player has rights. After the player goes all-in, all the new bets are placed in a side pot, over which only the contributing players have rights. The All-in player does not have any rights over the side pot. The side pot is then given to the next winning combination.

Upon completion of the final round of betting, the best hand wins the pot. (The pot may also be won by someone who bets without being called at any time during the hand.). Your "hand" is determined by using the best five of seven cards.

There is a set rank of cards, which is used for deciding the winning combination.

If two or more hands are the same ranking, the winner is the one having the higher cards. For example, a Flush with an Ace high beats a Flush with a King high. If the poker hands remain tied, then the highest card not being held in common (the kicker) determines the winner.

The suit order of the cards is not taken into account while deciding on the winning cards. We will follow Robert’s rules of poker version 5. Should poker hands be absolutely identical in ranking, the rule of poker pot distribution will be split evenly between the two or more winning players. If there is an odd chip, the winning player to the left of the button/dealer will receive it.

TIMER USE

A timer will be used to time the ante progression. When the timer expires, it should be immediately restarted. The next hand will be dealt at the new level. For the purposes of this rule, a hand is considered currently in play once the all antes are posted AND the dealer has begun shuffling (riffles the deck).

The timer is stopped during breaks.  No additional hands at any table should be started during such a break although hands already in progress should be completed.

WINNING THE TOURNAMENT

The final player remaining, in the championship round, with all the chips will be the first prize winner. The last player eliminated will be the second prize winner; the second last player eliminated will be the third prize winner, etc... If two players get eliminated in the same hand, the person who started the hand with the most chips gets the higher finish and awarded the corresponding prize pool for that placement.