Stud Hi-Lo is a “split pot” game, meaning that half the pot can be awarded to the highest hand and half the pot can be awarded to the best qualifying low hand. 

To qualify as a low hand:

1.          The player must have five unpaired cards that are 8 or lower.

2.          An ace counts as low in a qualifying low hand.

3.          Flushes and straights do not affect the low value.  

4.          Low hands are counted from the top down.  The low hand is only as good as its highest card.  For example:

       8,6,5,4,3 is a better low than 8,7,3,2,A

Rules:

Play is the same as in seven card stud.  However the rules are different at showdown.

1.          If there is a high hand and a qualifying low hand, they split the pot.  

2.          If there is an extra chip that cannot be split in half, the chip is given to the high hand.

3.          If there is no qualifying low hand, the entire pot is awarded to the high hand.

4.          Players can win one or both halves of the pot (a player “scoops” the pot when he wins both halves of the pot) with the same or different cards from their hands.

5.          If a player has both the best high and best low hand, he wins the entire pot, known as “scooping” the pot.

6.          If two players have the same low hand, they must split the low half of the pot, known as getting “quartered”. Unless there were a lot of players in the hand, getting quartered is not something you want to do as you will often win less money that you put into the pot.