Well,  if you follow that line of thinking,  one thing’s for sure  --  fun will be had,  but it won’t be by you.  It’ll be had by the people taking your money.  7 Card Stud/8 or Better may look a lot like its cousin 7-Stud,  but there are some big differences between the two games.  One article can’t do justice to the entire game,  but it can help clear up some common myths that are the pitfall of many a player used to playing 7-Stud and can help get you started on the path to success.

Myth #1:  I can play the same hands I do in 7-Stud because the high hand always wins at least half of the pot.  This is a huge mistake.  Starting hand requirements differ greatly in Stud 8.  In 7-Card Stud,  you can often play hands like 9-9-6,  3-3-K,  etc.  This is a sure-fire way to lose money,  because you are only going one way with the hand.  The best hands are those that give you potential both ways  --  such as three small cards in sequence  (ex:  345)  or three small suited cards.  Here,  you have a great shot to have a hand develop into a powerhouse that will scoop  (win the entire)  pot rather than just half of it.

Myth #2:  Most big pairs are playable.  If you are new to the game,  avoid going  “high,”  meaning starting with any big pair other than Aces or three-of-a-kind.  (As you become a better player you can include Kings and Queens into your play,  but if you're just starting in the game,  these hands are extremely dangerous.)  Start with good low hands and try to qualify for the low and  “back in”  to the high  --  it’s much easier for a low hand to qualify for the high than it is for a high hand to  “back in”  to the low.

(Note:  To "Back In" to a hand:  When you start out trying for one hand and end up with another.  For instance,  suppose I start with A-4-5 in a hi-lo stud game.  I'm going low.  But then I get an ace on fourth street;  I've  "backed in"  to a pair of aces,  giving me a decent hi hand to go with my lo draw.)

Myth #3:  Any three low cards are playable.  Many players new to Stud 8 will play any three small cards,  like 4-6-8,  5-6-8,  and so on.  While you want to go low in this game,  you want to start out with a quality low draw.  That doesn’t mean your three cards always have to be suited or in sequence,  but it does mean you want three cards of six or less or three cards of seven or less with an Ace or two cards that are suited or in sequence.  When you’ve got the eight,  you are drawing to one of the worst lows,  and may be setting yourself up to get trapped later on in the hand.  Remember:  Just as you don’t want to be going only high,  you’d like your low draw to have some chance at the high too.  A hand like As 3s 7s has that potential;  a hand like 3s 6d 8c has the potential to cost you a stack.

Myth #4:  Any flush or straight draw is playable.  A common mistake a stud player makes is to be looking down in front of him as the cards are dealt,  look at the doorcard,  then quickly look at the hole cards,  see that they are all the same suit or in sequence,  and toss out a chip or two to see fourth street without looking around first.  This is a big mistake in 7-card stud,  and it’s an even bigger mistake in stud 8,  because you may be on a draw for just half of the pot and it may be a poor draw at that.  When you’ve got three cards in sequence or three suited cards, you need to pause and look to see:  1)  How many of the cards are eight or smaller and  2)  What your opponents are showing.  You always must be aware of what the other players are holding.  You do not want to be on a draw to a flush or straight for just half the pot and have poor drawing odds.

Good guidelines to follow for those flush draws start with:  Dump the hand if you have no low cards and more than one card of your suit is gone.  Or if you have an Ace or two low cards,  you can limp in as long as no more than two cards of your needed suit are gone.  If you’re fortunate enough to have three suited cards of eight or less,  you’ll be playing in pretty much any circumstance,  unless you have something like 5s 7s 8s, four spades are gone and an Ace completed the bring-in.  As far as straight draws are concerned,  if it’s a draw to a high straight,  dump it.  It’s just something that will get you in trouble.  For marginal straight draws like 6-7-8,  or one-gap straight draws like 5-6-8,  limp in if all of the cards you need to improve are live on the inside-straight draw and no more than one card is gone for the open-ended straight draw.  If it’s a beauty  (any three cards in sequence of six or less)  you’ll be seeing fourth street no matter what.