HI-LOW

Where a Terrible Hand Can Win You money

In Hi-low, the players with the best hand (high) and worst hand (low) split the pot. The best hand is determined by standard poker rles (see card 4) the best low is A, 2, 3, 4, 6 or “6 down.” (Some people play A,2,3,4,5 as the lowest hand.)

The winner of a low hand is usually determined by the lowest high card. If the highest cards are the same rank, move to the second-highest card and compare again. For instance player 1 has 2,3,4, 7, 8 and Player 2 has 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 player 2 Player 2 wins because his 6 beats the 7.
In seven card stud and other games with more than five cards, it’s possible to declare both high and low. This is a more common occurrence when playing with wild cards. however, even without wild cards it is possible. For instance, if you are playing seven card stud and your cards are A♥, 2♥, 3♥, 4♥, 5♥, 6♣, 8♦, you would have both a straight flush high hand had a 6 down (A , 2, 3, 4, 6) low hand.
Note: If a player declares in both high and low, he must win both. If he loses either the high hand or the low hand, the player with the best remaining high hand splits the pot with the player with the best remaining low hand.

Hi-low is played the same way as other games with this exception: Prior to the last round of betting, or prior to the showdown (the dealer can decide), all players “declare” whether they are going for high or low poker. A common way of declaring is by placing chips in your hand. Players trying for the high hand put a chip in their hand, those going for low leave their hand empty, and those going for both put two chips in their hand. All players place a closed fist above the table and the dealer then asks all to open their fists and show whether they are going high or low.

If a player is the only one to declare either high or low, he automatically wins half the pot. After the players declare, there is the showdown. (There are different variations on when and how to declare. Some declare sequentially, where the last player to raise is the first to declare. This method gives the last person to declare an advantage, because he knows what other players are declaring and can tailor his own declaration accordingly. Alternately, some players just lay down their cards after the final round of betting and let the cards speak.)
If the pot cannot be divided evenly, the player with the high hand takes the indivisible amount or it can be put toward the next game's pot.