Stud Eight of Better Tips for Beginners

Stud Eight of Better Tips for Beginners

The object of Stud 8 or better is to scoop pots. Hands that do not give you the opportunity to take both halves of the pot are marginal at best with only a couple of exceptions. Otherwise, if you must play a hand that is only a one way hand, you need to play a hand that has you drawing to a very strong hand.

The best starting hand in Stud 8 is a set. When you are dealt a set on Third Street, this is deemed as being “rolled up.” When you are dealt a rolled up set of nines through kings, you want to play the hand fast. Many times in stud high, this is a hand that may be slow played. Slow playing a high set in stud 8 will leave you open to many players staying in and outdrawing you. Personally, I recommend playing low sets fast as well. For sake of the article, I consider a set of Aces as a low set. A low set, even a set of aces gives you a deception advantage. When you raise with a deuce through eight showing, many players will put you on a big low, or maybe a pair of aces in the hole. It is not common they will put you on a set. Many times, players will not give you credit with a raise with an ace as your up card. They may put you on a big low draw. With aces, while I recommend still playing the hand fast, realize that usually the only action you will receive will be either from players with scoop capable hands or those that are playing poorly. Also, low sets do have a chance to back into a low, but you must catch perfect.

Three low connected suited cards are the next best hand that you will want to hold. Suited hands such as 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 4-5-6, 5-6-7, and even 6-7-8 are very strong due to their straight, flush, and low possibilities. 3-4-5 is considered by many the strongest of the suited connectors as it can make everything from the wheel to a nine high straight in addition to its flush possibilities. A-2-3 suited is incredibly strong as well. While it can only make one straight, that straight is the nuts for low. Any flush make is the nut flush, and the ace can be paired to give strong high possibilities. 6-7-8 is the weakest of the three holdings due to the fact that you are drawing to the worst low from the beginning. When you play 6-7-8, you will want to focus on catching a straight or a flush above working on a low unless you are against all high hands.

Three low double gutted cards are also strong. 5-2-A, 6-4-2, 7-5-3, and 6-3-2 are all very playable hands due to their strong low possibilities. Now these types of hands don’t have the same drawing powers for straights as open ended hands posses. Again, starting with double gutted eight low draws can be tricky. 8-6-4 and 8-5-4 are both hands that can cost you money if you are not careful. You will be drawing to the worst low in most cases and must catch perfect to make your straight. Play 8 low draws of this type sparingly.

After three low connected cards, you want three suited low cards. Suited hands such as 7-5-2, 6-2-A, 7-3-2, and 6-3-A are all strong low hands. When you hold three low uncoordinated suited cards, hands that include an ace are the best. This allows you to draw to the nut flush. Again, eight low draws are tricky. You really need an ace in your hand to chase an eight low for this type of hand. 8-2-A and 8-3-A, while not ideal, are hands that you can speculate if there is not a lot of action.

After suited low cards, you will want to play low connected and gapped hands. 4-5-6, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 7-4-3, and 5-3-A are all very strong. In this spot, 6-7-8 is probably one of the only eight low hands that I would play to a raise. Other eight low hands I would only play from late position or if there are a lot of high hands in the pot.

One of the exceptions to the rule of drawing to both halves of the pot comes with playing three low uncoordinated cards seven and under. These hands in most cases will give you a strong chance for low. These hands including an ace also give you some chances to improve to high. Stay away from three uncoordinated eight low cards. The only times you will want to play an uncoordinated eight low is against either a bring-in or against a single high cards, and then realize you are likely drawing to half.

Pairs from nines to kings are all trap hands. These hands are high hands only. Don’t fall into a mental trap of playing a big pair with a low connector. In order to make low, you must call all remaining cards perfect. About the only times I would recommend playing a high pair while you are learning the game is when you have a high pair against a single opponent or when the other boards are all showing cards above 8.

Low pairs with a low connector are hands that can also develop into trap hands. Many players will recommend playing this type of hand. One point you need to remember is that with this hand, you must catch three out of four cards to make a low. That is 75% of the cards to come in your hand. You are facing long odds to scoop with this type of hand. About the only instances you will want to consider this type of play while you are beginning is either when your pair is buried or when your kick to your pair is an ace. With the buried pair, you will want to improve to three of a kind or a four low by Fifth Street. With the pair with an ace you will want to either improve to a set, aces-up, or a low draw by Fifth Street. Otherwise, abandon the hand.

One rule that you should adopt while learning the game is to improve on Fourth Street, or abandon the hand. Yes, this is a very tight strategy, but here is why. When you do not improve your three low to a four low on Fourth Street, you leave yourself needing 2 out of three cards to come perfect in order to make a hand. 67% of your hand needs to improve. When you improve to a four low on fourth, you only need one out of three cards. That is 34%. When you improve to a four low on Fourth Street, you are about 1.5 to 1 to split the pot, and that isn’t considering the chances to improve to a scoop. While this may seem like a very tight strategy, in the end it is the strategy that gives you the best odds.

You need to pay close attention to the cards on the board when you are playing Stud 8 or Better. This is actually more important than in Stud Hi. You need to be aware what cards are dead when you are drawing to low. If you start with a low draw such as 7-5-2 and you see a lot of low cards on the board, you know that chances are improving your hand has dropped significantly. This also helps when you are placing players on hands. Consider that you are holding a 6-4-3-2-A and a player shows a board with 6-4-3-A. You noticed on third that one player folded a deuce and deuces fell in two other boards during the hand. You opponent cannot outdraw you for the entire pot. In this case you can raise him knowing you have one way locked up.

Remember that in Stud 8 that the key to winning is to scoop pots. Eight low draws will tend to cost you money in the long run, so play them sparingly. If you do not improve your draw on Fourth Street, it is time to fold your hand in most cases. You will find that many players will not play this game properly and as a result many Stud 8 or Better games tend to be very profitable.