Online Poker Strategy Articles

Stud Hi-Lo Tournament Tips part 1: Jeff Henry

Stud Hi Lo Recommended Starting Hands Chart

Early on in a Stud Hi Lo tournament, you should stick rather firmly to the strategy I gave you in previous articles, which applies to early tournament play and cash game play. You could add in calling the bring-in in a multi-way pot with pairs to see if you hit trips cheaply before the bets go up, but that's probably best tossed in the muck because with so many people in the hand, one of them is bound to hit a better high even if you do hit your trips, but I wouldn't say it's a terrible play.

Generally, the stakes are so low that people play a lot of hands deep, so your hand must be quite strong to win. Also, weaker players are still in, and chase big hands, so you need to have very secure winners to maximize your profit.

As the tournament progresses into late stages, those great two-way low hands like 345 become less desirable, and the big pairs become the hands you want to see. The stakes are higher, and you would be well advised to adjust. Early on, there will be many players in each pot and the stakes are relatively low, which makes it rewarding to play those low two-way hands. I still like those low hands late, but you can't play it too far if you don't continue to get cards that fit in with it.

Later, you will do well to play more of those big pairs. Big pairs already have a line on the high, whereas three to a nice low still needs help. If the pair pushes hard, and the low misses, he may not want to continue on to try and get his low when the price is high. He doesn't want to miss and dump his whole stack. Big pairs, played very aggressively, do well. No matter what you have, aggression tends to work well late.

With that high pair, if you're lucky, they'll fold, or miss, or only hit their low. Most times you'll have the high, and the only question will be do you get half, or scoop when they miss that low draw.

note by gank: Jeff Henry is an extremely talented online poker pro.