Got to play with Mr. Swingers, Erik Seidel
So, now I have had the opportunity to play poker with two, count 'em, TWO Full Tilt pros. The first was lone WSOP-bracelet-holding Tiltboy Perry Friedman, which I reported at back in February or March or whenever it was. Tonight I signed on looking for a hold'em game, but noticed Mr. Erik Seidel playing 7-card Stud Hi/Lo at the $1/$2. Now, I have never played real 7-card Stud before, or real Hi/Lo poker (Ty, Kelly, Melissa, and I played some very bastardized variations of these games once before). I have played a little bit of Razz, which is 7S played for low hand only (no Hi/Lo).
While I did get to chit-chat with Erik a little bit before he bailed to play in a tournament, I unfortunately was never really involved in a pot with him, so I can't say I took any of his money. I did leave the table up about $18, though, so I did take someone's money (and I suppose some of Erik's antes, so haha).
Now I will recount the one hand I can really remember because it was one of the few I played that I actually knew what was going on. First a little background on the game. 7-card Stud is a whole different animal than hold'em. First of all, no community cards. Everyone plays their own cards and makes their own independent hand. You are dealt two down and one up to start (after the ante). Then the player with the best or worst hand (depends on kind of 7-stud you're playing) if forced to make the "bring-in" bet. This is like a blind, a forced bet of a predetermined amount (usually a quarter of the small bet amount; in this case $0.25 due to the $1 small bet amount). You can also "complete" the bring-in by posting the full small bet amount (in this case $1) and forcing everyone else to call or raise that amount, instead of the bring-in. After the first three cards, cards are dealt to each player one at a time with a round of betting after each card. These cards are all dealt face up until the final seventh card (called "the river" in stud, too), which is dealt face down. So you end up with 7 cards, 3 down and 4 up, from which to make a 5 card hand. That's basic 7-card Stud, hi/lo throws a whole new wrench in the gears. Hi/Lo poker is played for both high hand (standard poker hand rankings) and low hand (the worst hand according to those rankings) and straights & flushes don't count against being low. The best high hand and the best low hand split the pot. So, one of the best hands you can have in a hi/lo game is the A2345 straight. You have a straight, which gives you a good chance at winning the high, and you have the absolute nut (best) low with a 5-high. You're probably going to "scoop" the pot (win both the high and low halves). Confused? Me too. But it was a chance to play with Erik Seidel, so I took it. Now for the hand (which happened after Seidel had left).
I start out with 345 (34 down, 5 up), which is a pretty decent starting hand given that we're playing high low. 4th street brings me a 2 and I'm getting action from two other players (one of whom is showing two Kings already, the other showing not much of anything, meaning he's probably going for low hand). Now I'm in a sweet spot. An Ace or 6 in the final three cards virtually guarantees that I'm scooping this pot and I get pushy. 5th street brings another 5. Not so cool. I still haven't made my straight and now have paired up (pairs are bad in hi/lo, especially weak ones like 5s that have no chance of winning the high). 6th street (last up card) is a Queen. This sucks. Now I have no straight, a pair of 5s, and no qualifying low thanks to the Queen (a low hand cannot include a card higher than 8). I only have one card left to save this hand. My river is a 7. SAVED (sort of). I'm now almost positive I'm going to win the low with 23457 (a very strong low), but the high is out of my reach. I have no straight and the opponent showing two Kings is now showing two Kings and two Tens (plus whatever he's got hidden face down). His two pair obviously beats my pair of 5s for high. The other opponent's board still was completely uncoordinated, but he was still around, again indicating he thought he could make a decent low (but probably not as good as mine, I think). This opponent bets out, the KKTT guys FOLDS!!!, and I have to think a minute. I analyze his board and, while I can't remember it now, become convinced he can't beat me low and can only beat my high if he's got a hidden pairing card. I raise him on the end, he calls, and I scoop the whole freakin' pot!!!!!! A pair of 5s was the best high without Mr. KKTT in the pot and, as I suspected, my low was good. This was like a $50 dollar pot that switched me from being bitch-slapped for $20-$30 in a game I've never played to being up $18 and leaving with a grin and a very, very boring story. :)
While I did get to chit-chat with Erik a little bit before he bailed to play in a tournament, I unfortunately was never really involved in a pot with him, so I can't say I took any of his money. I did leave the table up about $18, though, so I did take someone's money (and I suppose some of Erik's antes, so haha).
Now I will recount the one hand I can really remember because it was one of the few I played that I actually knew what was going on. First a little background on the game. 7-card Stud is a whole different animal than hold'em. First of all, no community cards. Everyone plays their own cards and makes their own independent hand. You are dealt two down and one up to start (after the ante). Then the player with the best or worst hand (depends on kind of 7-stud you're playing) if forced to make the "bring-in" bet. This is like a blind, a forced bet of a predetermined amount (usually a quarter of the small bet amount; in this case $0.25 due to the $1 small bet amount). You can also "complete" the bring-in by posting the full small bet amount (in this case $1) and forcing everyone else to call or raise that amount, instead of the bring-in. After the first three cards, cards are dealt to each player one at a time with a round of betting after each card. These cards are all dealt face up until the final seventh card (called "the river" in stud, too), which is dealt face down. So you end up with 7 cards, 3 down and 4 up, from which to make a 5 card hand. That's basic 7-card Stud, hi/lo throws a whole new wrench in the gears. Hi/Lo poker is played for both high hand (standard poker hand rankings) and low hand (the worst hand according to those rankings) and straights & flushes don't count against being low. The best high hand and the best low hand split the pot. So, one of the best hands you can have in a hi/lo game is the A2345 straight. You have a straight, which gives you a good chance at winning the high, and you have the absolute nut (best) low with a 5-high. You're probably going to "scoop" the pot (win both the high and low halves). Confused? Me too. But it was a chance to play with Erik Seidel, so I took it. Now for the hand (which happened after Seidel had left).
I start out with 345 (34 down, 5 up), which is a pretty decent starting hand given that we're playing high low. 4th street brings me a 2 and I'm getting action from two other players (one of whom is showing two Kings already, the other showing not much of anything, meaning he's probably going for low hand). Now I'm in a sweet spot. An Ace or 6 in the final three cards virtually guarantees that I'm scooping this pot and I get pushy. 5th street brings another 5. Not so cool. I still haven't made my straight and now have paired up (pairs are bad in hi/lo, especially weak ones like 5s that have no chance of winning the high). 6th street (last up card) is a Queen. This sucks. Now I have no straight, a pair of 5s, and no qualifying low thanks to the Queen (a low hand cannot include a card higher than 8). I only have one card left to save this hand. My river is a 7. SAVED (sort of). I'm now almost positive I'm going to win the low with 23457 (a very strong low), but the high is out of my reach. I have no straight and the opponent showing two Kings is now showing two Kings and two Tens (plus whatever he's got hidden face down). His two pair obviously beats my pair of 5s for high. The other opponent's board still was completely uncoordinated, but he was still around, again indicating he thought he could make a decent low (but probably not as good as mine, I think). This opponent bets out, the KKTT guys FOLDS!!!, and I have to think a minute. I analyze his board and, while I can't remember it now, become convinced he can't beat me low and can only beat my high if he's got a hidden pairing card. I raise him on the end, he calls, and I scoop the whole freakin' pot!!!!!! A pair of 5s was the best high without Mr. KKTT in the pot and, as I suspected, my low was good. This was like a $50 dollar pot that switched me from being bitch-slapped for $20-$30 in a game I've never played to being up $18 and leaving with a grin and a very, very boring story. :)