An oldie, but a goodie - from the archives!

So an old friend from another forum asked me about some Stud H/L last night, and since this is my definitive post on the subject, I'm reposting it. Something a little different from NLHE. From 2007, enjoy:

A Stud H/L primer
Played 3 tables of .50/$1.00 HORSE over at Stars last night for about 90 minutes, which is a pretty good session for me lately. I cleared about 110 FPPs in that span, and made $55 last night...great run! When you sit down with $20 per table and come close to doubling up at each table in a limit game of this sort, either you're catching cards or playing very well...and a little luck sure never hurt anyone.

Where's the biggest money to be made in these games? The Stud games - one round is Stud (best high hand wins) and the other is Stud H/L (High and Low hands split the pot). If you don't have these games down, don't bother playing HORSE, since you'll get killed.

Basic Stud H/L strategy that I picked up from another forum from a very successful player - stick to this strategy, and you'll be a Stud H/L winner:

Starters: The basic starters are:

QQ or better
3 to a low
3 to a high flush
3 to any flush if only 1 out is counterfitted.

When you get that down, add these starters:

Any pairs with an A kicker if 4 of the outs are open
Any pairs if all 5 outs are open.
Both of the above you need an instant hit, if not get off the hand to any bet.

These above hands are on the aggressive side, BUT with a solid table image and the understanding you need to improve or get off you can get away with these hands. Remember straights are still UNPLAYABLE, it is much easier to fold AKQ or 789 than 223.

Playing 4th st and the Paint Rule (If you hit paint on 4th straight, fold!): We all know the Paint Rule by now, if you dont improve on 4th st when 3 to a low, GET OFF THE HAND TO ANY BET. There are a few exceptions:

When 3 to a low AND 3 to a flush, I will see one more card to hopefully improve both sides, if not one. EX- [2♣][4♣][6♦][K♣]....The [K♣] doesnt help our low, but it does give us a high draw as well. I will check this hand if UTG, but I will also call a single bet to see the next card. A low club would be ideal, but any club or any 4th to a low would keep me in the hand. If I dont improve at least one aspect of this hand, I am folding to a bet (one side note, if your flush suit is all over the board and you have only a few outs, get off the hand to a bet on 3rd st).

Betting your hands: Once you are 4 to a low, 4 to a flush or have a high pair you need to bet your hands. This game is about weeding out the competition, we dont want to be ahead and give free cards to our opponets. If you miss 5th st, and you are the last to act, I would bet as well. Betting on a missed 5th is key, I dont like to give a free card here.

If you missed on 6th st as well, you have a choice, look at the boards and play accordingly. If you missed with a 3rd low on board, but you paired a hole card (ex, [2][3][7][4][K][3]) you have to bet this hand. by checking you are letting every solid player know you paired that card. ANYTIME I see 3 to a low on board and the hand is checked to me, I BET IT, it means that your opponet has paired a baby. You might get a solid player off the hand with your board alone.

Feeding the rake: When lo: A big mistake players make is feeding the rake when low. If you are only low and your HU opponet has a good board([K][K][7][J], do not bet the river, you will only lose money on the rake. If your opponet has a crappy board ([8][J][Q][2]), bet away. There is a catch here...if you have a good draw board and a locked low, I will bet/raise a solid player with a so-so board. If you have a solid image as well, you are saying, I have a scoop...you may STEAL the high as well. On the chance you get called, you will surely get a few extra bets from this player later in the game because he thinks you will always try to pull this. Do not attempt this against a weak player....he will ALWAYS call you and you will just chop, but at the same time you alerted the solids on the table you will try to steal a high here and there. They will now be more apt to call you on a river steal attempt.

When hi: Always bet a weak opponets shaky board if you are strong, a board of [3][J][9][7] is screaming of a fish...bet here every time. You wont often go wrong betting your high hand on the river, the only time I wont do it is when a solid player as a strong low board...95% of the time we will chop and those bets are raked.

One other thing....if a player has a heavy draw board, DO NOT BET THE RIVER WITH ONLY A HIGH, its a sure fire way of losing 2 big bets...if he missed he is folding, if he hit, he is raising, just check/call there.

When you have a scoop possibility: ANYTIME I have a scoop hand....a locked low AND [A][A] or better I will bet/raise every time.

Good luck!

Monday Night fun at a new venue

Since Dino's decided not to have its Monday tournament this week, I headed over to Hazel Park Raceway to play in their Monday freeroll w/rebuys tournament. Stevo was working as a dealer there, and it was good to talk to him for a bit before the action got underway.

First table had a couple of signups who never showed, and an interesting cast of characters. I took down a few small pots by simply betting after the flop with snow, and I had a good read on the table early. Got to lob my first insult at some young kid sometime during the second level when I raised in the small blind to 300 (50-100 blinds)...kid does a "what the hell" call, and then nearly jumps out of his seats when two aces come out on the flop.

I looked at the kid, shook my head and laughed, said "check", and then he bets out 800...all the time his hands shaking, chips fumbling around...no tell there, eh? I told him that he liked that flop too much for my liking, flipped over my pocket kings face-up, and then called him an idiot for overbetting the pot so much with a monster hand (Ace-jack, in his). Kid tried to argue that he should have only bet 200 or so, and string me along, but I told him that I wasn't sticking around for only 2 outs no matter what the price - he didn't play it bad by betting, but there are reasons why we look at reactions to flop for help here.

2 brutal hands killed - 1 right before rebuy period, and one shortly after. Hand 1 - 10-9 in small blind, 2 limpers, no raisers...easy call getting 8-1 on my money. Flop comes 10-10-8, 2 clubs. UTG goes all-in immediately, Tom (Dino's veteran) calls, I call (going all-in), and these are the hands:

UTG: 4-4
Tom: J-7 clubs
Me: 10-9 - trips

Club hits on turn, 4 on river wins it for UTG, and I rebuy. Get my 3000 chips add-on a hand or 2 later, then run into another brutal hand at end of 200-400 level:

Old guy to right of me raises to 1200 (1/3 of his chips), I look down and see 10-10, reraise all-in for 3400. Old guy says that he doesn't like the hand he has, but is "pot-committed" (really? Most people have no clue what "pot-committed" or "pot odds" actually means), I say, "It's good to know that I'm way ahead of you, at least", and he actually says, "Hey, it's suited...I have to call", and turns over A-10 hearts, yes! 2 hearts on flop, 3rd on turn gives him the flush, and I'm out. Oh well, much fun was had - will play again very soon.

WSOP update...better move on it this weekend!

So I played in 2 Step 8s last night over at AP - Finished 4th and 5th in my tourneys, which dropped me back down to Steps 7 and 6, respectively. Hopefully, gonna play some this weekend, but how much is another story.