But
all low cards, of course, are not created equally, and an
ace is stronger than any other card you might be dealt.
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TWO FOR THE MONEY
by: Lou Krieger
The best 7-card stud, eight-or-better, high-low split (7-stud/8)
hands are generally low holdings that can back into high hands
too. Everyone knows that. But all low cards, of course, are
not created equally, and an ace is stronger than any other
card you might be dealt. It’s the biggest high-card as
well as the smallest low one in the deck, and there are more
options available to a skillful player whose starting hand
contains an ace along with two other low cards.
Consider this: Both 5-4-2 and 5-4-A are excellent starting
hands. Three-card wheel draws are about as good as they get.
Despite that, there are some obvious differences between them.
While either holding at this juncture can grow into a wheel,
the hand without the ace is essentially a low-draw æ
nothing more. It will back into the high hand only if the
holder is fortunate enough to catch two perfect cards. On
the other hand, it might not make a low at all. Even if the
holder catches another low card on fourth street, he can still
strike out by catching three high cards, or by catching two
bananas (to 7-stud/8 players a banana does not grow on trees;
it comes right out of a deck of cards with a rank of nine
or higher) and pairing one of his other cards.
Since players with drawing hands usually want to complete
them as inexpensively as possible, high hands usually raise
early, to make it expensive for low hands to stick around
in hopes of winning half the pot. Once any opponent completes
a low hand, and thus holds claim to half the pot, the high
hands generally slow down, with the exception of humongous
hands like a full house or quads, that are sure to capture
their end of the pot.
While a hand like 5-4-A is almost surely the best low draw
on the first betting round, it’s still a draw. After
all, a low hand cannot be completed until fifth street, at
the earliest. But that lone ace might also be the best high
hand. In fact, if no one has a pair, a hand like 5-4-A will
probably be the best playable high hand on the first betting
round, since hands like K-A-4 are generally not going to enter
the fray. After all, someone holding that kind of hand is
faced with playing six cards against seven of his opponent’s
æ a prescription for failure.
A hand like 5-4-A is the equivalent of three low cards and
a high one, and the holder does not have to play as cautiously
as he would if he had a low draw only. He can raise. If he
can winnow the field down to one or two opponents, he might
wind up with the best hand in each direction. If our hero’s
opponent realizes this and folds, so much the better.
Pairing his ace on fourth street also puts him in an enviable
position. Even without completing his low, he can win by pairing
any one of his other cards. After all, aces-up is a strong
hand in this game, particularly against two lesser pair.
While even hands this good won’t always pan out, that’s
poker. It doesn’t come with any guarantees, and 7-stud/8
is a game replete with situations where a player must draw.
When those draws don’t materialize it’s frustrating,
costly, and can put one quickly on tilt. But that’s no
reason to deviate from playing properly. And one of the keys
to proper play is to realize just how powerful a holding a
low draw with an ace really is.
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