An illustrative S/8 hand I played recently:
Hand #15452617704
7 Card Stud *High-Low* ($10/$20), Ante $1
*3rd Street* – (0.60 SB)
somebody: xx xx Ah___raises___calls
foucault82: 4d 4h 4s___raises
badabang: xx xx Jc___folds
luckymonkey9: xx xx 7c___folds
Jshorts7: xx xx 5d___calls
umhmm: xx xx 3h___folds
*4th Street* – (6.90 SB)
somebody: xx xx Ah Qc___*checks*___calls
foucault82: 4d 4h 4s 2c___bets
Jshorts7: xx xx 5d 9h___calls
*5th Street* – (4.95 BB)
somebody: xx xx Ah Qc Kc___*bets*___calls
foucault82: 4d 4h 4s 2c 9s___raises
Jshorts7: xx xx 5d 9h 7s___calls
*6th Street* – (10.95 BB)
somebody: xx xx Ah Qc Kc Ac___*bets*
foucault82: 4d 4h 4s 2c 9s 8c___calls
Jshorts7: xx xx 5d 9h 7s 2h___calls
*River* – (13.95 BB)
somebody: xx xx Ah Qc Kc Ac xx___*bets*
foucault82: 4d 4h 4s 2c 9s 8c 6h___folds
Jshorts7: xx xx 5d 9h 7s 2h xx___folds
*Total pot:* (13.95 BB)
Results:
Total pot $279 Rake $3
In Stud/8, one of your best opportunities for deception comes in situations like this, where you can play a well-concealed high hand like a low hand. Ideally, you can knock out other players who might have won the half of the pot that it looks like you are trying to win and get it heads up with a player who has every reason to think his hand is best for the half that you actually are winning.
I 2-bet third street here in the hopes of knocking out the limping low hand and getting the pot heads up with a likely pair of Aces. I still make money if the limper comes along, but not as much as if he folds. The same is true when he bricks on fourth (though based on the hand played out, it seems he may have had a small pair in the hole, which clearly should have folded third, rather than a razz hand).
So far, my play is consistent with that of a strong low draw. It’s not until fifth street that I start to tip my hand by raising when I catch a brick and both of my opponents appear to catch well. But by this point the pot is large and the bets are big.
Unfortunately, my opponent catches a disastrous card on 6th, almost certainly giving him better trips than mine. If he did start a pair of Aces, though, his third card could be anything, so I’ve certainly got the odds to draw at a boat even assuming the risk that I’m drawing dead.
When I miss on the river, though, I can safely fold despite getting nearly 14:1. For one thing, I’m about that sure I’m beat. But more importantly, it is very likely that my other opponent will overcall or even raise with a low, cutting my pot odds and half and maybe even creating a situation where I still end up folding. The fact that he folds with three low cards showing when the other guy can’t possibly have a low suggests to me that he started a pair rather than a razz hand, since otherwise he would have either peeled fourth without a pair or a three-low, which is unlikely, or paired one of his hole cards on fifth or sixth, which is possible.