Brief Tips: Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Strategy

In this game the high hand winner splits the pot with the player with the best qualifying low hand. There is not always a low hand winner.

A qualifying low hand must have five denominations no higher than an eight. Any five of the seven cards can be played for high and any five can be played for low.

Aces are both high and low value. Straights and flushes do not disqualify a low hand, so a player ending with 5 4 3 2 A has an unbeatable low hand and a 5 high straight to play high. This hand would have an excellent chance of winning both ways. In this example the player could also have another hand that is higher than the 5 high straight to play for high.

The most important thing to keep in mind in split pot games is the profit difference between winning half the pot and "scooping" it all.

Beginners tend to think that winning two split pots is equal to winning one full pot. This is not so from a profit point of view! Scooping the pot generally builds a healthy addition to your stack of chips. Getting half may put you barely ahead of where you were at the start of the hand.

Winning Seven Card Hi Lo players often have to settle for half and occasionally lose both high and low, but always play only hands that have a good chance of winning it all. They never play for one side only unless they have an unbeatable one way hand or have a probable "escape" on seventh street.

Second most important to do in Seven Hi Lo is to get out early when it looks like you don't have the best probable scoop hand.

As soon as hands that start out with good possibilities for both high and low, turn into probable losers for either end, they should be folded unless they are almost certain winners for half of the pot.

This also applies to strong high hands that are not an almost certain high end winner, that will probably have to split with a low.

More tips soon.

Cheers

Gary

Brief Tips: Seven Card Stud Strategy

This is a high card game.

More winning hands are decided by the higher of two pairs or just the highest pair, than by straights, flushes and other big hands.

If you start with a straight or flush draw, it should have at least two high cards or at least one card that is higher than anything on the board.

These draw hands and low pair starting hands need to improve or turn a high pair quickly to justify continued play.

Any time your high hand is beaten on the board, fold - that is unless you think you still have the best draw hand.

Fast play early high hands (that could win without improvement) to thin out the competition.

Slow play draw hands to keep other players in to increase the pot odds in case you hit.

More tips soon.

Cheers

Gary

Want Some Rules?

Hello again,

It has occurred to me that some visitors to my blog may not be poker veterans and may like to see some rules for the games I have provided strategy for.

...well now is your chance!

If you would like me include some of the rules, please leave me a comment by clicking on the comment link below and I'll see what I can do.

Please ensure that you tell me which style of poker you want the rules for.

Until next time.

Cheers

Gary

I realise this is a little off-topic...

I realise it's a little off-topic, but I couldn't help but share with you this article about Roulette strategies, from "Bullet" Bob Maxwell...

"A fun game for a lot of folks is Roulette. Much of it's popularity is because it is probably the easiest of all table gambling games to learn to play and a convenient way to test betting systems experiments.

Gamblers have been seeking magic betting systems forever. The challenge to find a "system" or a method of varying your bets in a way that will change the game odds to your favor can be compelling and sometimes almost addictive..."

It's well worth reading, Click Here for a link to Bob's full article.

Great Online Poker Site!

Here is a fantastic online poker site I have discovered, just click on the image to go right there.




More tips coming soon.

Cheers

Gary

Brief Tips: Five Card Stud Strategy

Mostly a game of high cards and pairs. Don't play for straights and flushes unless you have three cards to a straight flush on third street, or it looks like you might get a straight or flush on fourth. With only one down card, it is easier than most games to put your opponents on hands.

Pay close attention to how they each play. Don't start without either a pair or at least one live card that beats the board.
Fold if you do not have at least a pair in the first three cards.

Nearly always fold when you are beaten on the board and do not have a good draw to the best hand.

Look for more tips coming soon.

Cheers

Gary

Brief tips: Omaha High-Low Strategy

In this variation the high hand winner splits the pot with the player who has the best qualifying low hand.

There is always a high hand winner but not always a low. For a hand to qualify for low, it must have five denominations no higher than an eight. Any two of the four down cards are played for high and any two are played for low.

Players must play exactly two out of their hands for each direction. Aces are played both high and low. Straights and flushes do not disqualify a hand for low, so a player ending with 5 4 3 2 A would have an unbeatable low hand and a 5 high straight to play for high.

A player with this hand would have a good chance of winning both ways. He or she could also have another high hand better than the straight.

The thing to keep in mind in split pot games is the big difference between winning half the pot and "scooping" it all. It is a lot more than just twice as much, scooping the pot usually builds a healthy addition to your stack of chips. Getting half often puts you barely ahead of where you were before you started playing the hand. Expert Omaha Hi Lo players only play starting hands, that have a good chance of winning both ways.

As explained previously Omaha is a game of "nuts". With so many players with so many cards, a final hand with a fairly good high and a fairly good low can easily be beaten by better hands both ways. So after the flop or maybe the turn, if it looks like you don't have an almost certain winner for one end and a decent shot at the other, or the best high hand with no qualifying low probable, you should fold and wait for the next hand.

More coming soon.

Cheers

Gary

Brief Tips: Omaha Hold 'em Strategy

In full ring, limit Omaha, it usually takes an unbeatable high or low or "nut" hand to win!

This is a hand that can only be beaten by hidden quads and straight flushes. These hands are usually referred to as "pure" nuts.

Two pairs and trip hands don't win very often, you need to shoot for the nut straight, nut flush, or nut full house most of the time.

Players start with four cards. Each four card hand contains six Hold'em hands when the four cards are converted to all possible combinations of two. ie: WXYZ: WX WY WZ XY XZ YZ.

Players play two cards from their hand and three from the board.

If you are in a pot with five other players after the flop, it is comparable to a Texas Hold'em game against thirty other players, because each of your five competitors is holding six Hold'em hands instead of one.

So if you get down to the river with a very good hand, but one that can be beaten by some other two card combinations, expect to lose, because the higher hands are likely to be out there.

A high end straight on the flop runs into serious problems when the board turns up three suited cards or a pair - a flush or a full house will usually appear and beat you - always play for the nut.

One or two good hold'em hands is normally not a very good starting hand but many players can't resist the urge to play them. With four cards to choose from, these kinds of hands are easy to get and Omaha games normally have more players and bigger pots than in Hold'em.

Higher payoffs work to your advantage when you usually start with hands that contain four cards that all interact with each other to make about five or six decent Hold'em hands instead of only one or two, although there are a few exceptions to this.

More soon.

Cheers

Gary

Brief tips: Texas Hold'em Strategy

Hold'em is a high card game, which means that if you are holding two good high cards you have a good chance at the best hand or a draw to the best hand after the flop.

Only play strong hands, which will stand one or more raises from early betting positions.

Play medium strength and other playable hands from the later positions if you have a good chance of seeing the flop at a reasonable price.

Play strong high hands most of the time, and play them aggressively, taking all the raises you can get.

You need to thin out the competition, or you will reduce your chances of winning and your aggressive play before the flop can add credibility to any strong play you might want to use on the next round if a weak flop occurs and you want to try a steal.

Prepare to fold a high pair if you get a lot of action with a strong flop.

More tips coming up soon.

Cheers

Gary

Hello Poker Players

Hello everybody,

I look forward to bringing you the latest poker strategies and other news and resources.

Along the way, I plan to share winning strategies for Texas Hold 'em; Omaha; Omaha Hi-Lo; 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Stud.

Look out for the first set of tips real soon

More soon

Gary