1. Hi-Lo Declare. This is far from a new game. In fact, the variations of hi-lo declare were easily the most popular home games during the 60s, 70s, and beyond. Not surprising because it’s a lot of fun and a talented player can play a lot of hands. The reason for this comes from the fact that you can take down half the pot with a bad hand even without bluffing.

For those who have never played this game, the key rule is that after all the cards are out the players “declare” whether they are “going” high, going low, or in rare cases, going both ways. If you declare only one way, you can win only half the pot unless all the other players go the same way as you. It does not matter if you happen to have the best hand in the category you didn’t declare for. If you declare both ways you must win both ways or you lose. (By winning both ways I mean beating all the high declarers for high and all the low declarers for low. If a low declarer happens to beat you for high it’s irrelevant.)

If only one player declares for high or low, he automatically gets half the pot. It doesn’t matter how bad his hand is. So, an astute player can often finagle his way to winning these half pots with a bad hand. Sometimes this ploy involves declaring one way even though his hand is much better the other way. That’s because he’s likely to be beaten that other way.

The game may or may not include one last round of betting after the declare. The declare may be done sequentially or simultaneously. The game is not usually played “eight or better” but it could be. The simplest version is seven-card stud, but there are myriad of other versions.

The reason this game was not brought into casinos was that there was concern about how easy it would be to collude. Because two or more mediocre players can become unbeatable by using the simple strategy of never declaring in the same direction. But I don’t think this is a good enough reason to outlaw a game that has a chance of being quite popular. At the very least, it could be offered at small stakes where cheaters are not apt to hang out. But I think nowadays players are sophisticated enough to spot suspicious play, especially with the help of rules requiring more exposure of hole cards than usual, and thus it may catch on for bigger stakes as well.

I always thought this game could never work in a casino the same way it does in home games, because you basically have to trust that the other players won't cheat (and I don't mean collude). When I played it in a home game, declaring was done by holding a coin (or nothing) in your hand and then all players opening their hands at the same time. I just don't see how this could be enforced in a casino. The dealer can't watch everyone's hands at the same time, and some players who are good at slight-of-hand could change their declarations based on what others have done.

The only way I could imagine it working would be for players to declare verbally in turn, but this would give a huge advantage to the last player, and it wouldn't really retain the spirit of the home game.

Everyone gets two cards with seat number on one side and hi or lo on the other, push the one you're playing into the middle at declare time.

Hands per hour: 7

Maybe. But that's more things for the house to deal with and players to lose. And in most games you can also go both ways.

DNegs would love this.

You have a book?

Great fun in a home game in seven-stud and variants thereof; good action. Best played without qualifiers, in which case it's often a beauty contest for low (and sometimes for high) provided you're willing to push your up cards hard. (We play 5-10 or 10-20 limit.) Simultaneous declare at the end is best.

Two questions you must settle before dealing the game.

1) What about someone who declares both ways and ties for low? We play mathematical splits in my home game, but I've been in games where a player who goes both ways must win (not tie) both ways. (I don't like that rule.)
2) If one player goes high and one goes low and a third goes both ways and loses high does the other low declarer win? Although many home games play that way, we play only a player with a winning hand can win the pot; which is to say the high player scoops in that situation.

We used to use chips in your fist after betting is completed: one low, two high, three both ways. Everyone sticks their fist out front and reveals at the same time.

Like what Mason and Russell wrote, our rule was if you declare both ways, but don't win outright both ways, you forfeit your claim to both halves.

To answer Russell's second question (it's been a long time since this group disbanded), but I believe the low-only declarer got that half of the pot. IIRC, we treated the "both ways" guy not winning both as a fold on the river; thus, the only person with an eligible hand left won that side. I don't think we had a qualifier for low.

What if you tied one way?

I played declare both ways, i.e. declaring both loses if tied for either high or low, or tying splits the share with the other tying player.

To me it makes no sense to lose when one has a tying best hand. In all sports I can think of, tying (with no tiebreaker) is equivalent to winning, albeit sharing equity with the other winner. Horse racing, track and field, olympic events, etc all recognize dead heats as wins worthy of proper recognition (e.g. multiple golds, split purse money).

Tying is not losing. Tying is sharing the win. Declaring both with a tie is still winning both, albeit a smaller share.

I think people get confused on this because they believe there can only be one winner in an event, which is simply not true. 2012 Travers resulted in a dead heat for the win. Both winners were fully acknowledged as actual winners, even going so far to have their riding silks painted on two respective canoes in the infield.

These silly complicated rules are why I think any game that isn't "cards speak" could never work in a casino.

Declare is simple to play if one plays best hand rule, which is intuitive to high/low games.

Trying to explain to a player they lost with the nuts does complicate things.

I'm not sure what you're asking. If a player declares both ways, and doesn't win outright both ways, they forfeit their claim to the pot. Their hand is killed.

I haven't seen the Cardrooms book, but the only material I've read on the game was in Sklansky's chapter in Super System 1. I also recall a comment of his where he believed that it was the most difficult of all poker games.

For the opposite view, see PokerHero above.

If you play this game, you must get the two questions I raised straight before beginning. But these are not silly rules, and once the players are aware of and used to them all will go smoothly.

In home games, Hi/lo stud is the best pot builder going. (Especially with variants such as a buy on the end!)

Not intending to belittle this, but I don't understand why going both loses with a shared winning hand, but declaring one way does not lose on a shared winning hand.

There are also some awkward situations which require additional arbitrary rules. Such as all players in a pot going both, with shared winning hi/lo hands among 2+ players, e.g. all players have nut low wheel.

You need to win outright both ways and a tie is not a win. Without winning outright, there is no risk to declare both ways.

Dealers would hate dealing this game. New players would be confused. Cheating opportunities galore. This is a game for your grandpas house for nickels and dimes where the beer and soda is more expensive than your worst losses.

Y, davepoker has it right. Whether that's the correct way to view the problem or not, IDK. Just reporting what our group used to do.

This group also decided, in games with wild cards, that 5 of a kind beat a straight flush. Except for a royal, because that's somehow magic.

So what happens when the only two players at showdown declare "both", and one wins high but the other wins low?

There would still be plenty of risk if a tie counted as a win.

This comment just shows how bad the game is in general. Even people who advocate for it don't understand it.

Assuming they are the only 2 at showdown, they split the pot.

N.B.: I believe the general rule is that a third player declaring one way cannot back into the whole pot assuming he does not beat either of the high/lo declarers.

So the 2 guys going both and tying, both lose? Or is there a special rule for that?

If everybody still in declares both ways, that hand becomes no-declare.