Son of Representing Stud for the 2+2 clan: the Online Years
 

Count the mistakes.

I love to play stud, but never have an opportunity to do so: there are just no stud games near me. I am not an on-line player. My wife has some on-line accounts, and occasionally will let me play on her computer--as long as it's cheap. In this hand I've been given a bankroll of $5, and have decided to play hi-lo 8. Here is the hand history (cool feature) along with my <font color="blue">comments</font> .

PokerStars 7 Card Stud Limit ($0.25/$0.50)
<font color="blue">(The first thing you'll notice is that I want to play hi-lo, but there is nothing about hi-lo in the title of the hand history.)</font>
Seat 1: Mack($4.75 in chips) <font color="blue">(OK, so I'm stuck a quarter. No biggie.)</font>
Seat 2: seat 2 ($8.90 in chips)
Seat 3: seat 3 ($13.35 in chips)
Seat 4: seat 4 ($15.45 in chips)
Seat 5: seat 5 ($7.85 in chips)
Seat 7: seat 7 ($2.05 in chips)
Seat 8: seat 8 ($5.25 in chips)
Mack: posts the ante $0.05
seat 2: posts the ante $0.05
seat 3: posts the ante $0.05
seat 4: posts the ante $0.05
seat 5: posts the ante $0.05
seat 7: posts the ante $0.05
seat 8: posts the ante $0.05
<font color="blue">(Good! We've all anted! No detail is omitted in these hand histories...)</font>
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to Mack[4c 2h 3d]
<font color="blue">(Three to a wheel! Wish there were some suits, but why be demanding?)</font>
Dealt to seat 2 [8s]
Dealt to seat 3 [9c]
Dealt to seat 4 [9h]
Dealt to seat 5 [3s]
Dealt to seat 7 [7s]
Dealt to seat 8 [Th]
Mack: brings-in low $0.10
<font color="blue">(I decide to slowplay. I'm drawing pretty good, why knock anyone out?)</font>
seat 2: calls $0.10
seat 3: folds
seat 4: calls $0.10
seat 5: calls $0.10
seat 7: folds
seat 8: folds
<font color="blue">(WhooHoo! Three customers.)</font>
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Mack[4c 2h 3d] [Jd]
<font color="blue">(Uh oh, brick.)</font>
Dealt to seat 2 [8s] [3h]
<font color="blue">(Worrisome. Is this guy going high or low?)</font>
Dealt to seat 4 [9h] [8h]
<font color="blue">(I'm not sure what seat 4 has, but he's gotta love this card.)</font>
Dealt to seat 5 [3s] [Tc]
<font color="blue">(Good, the other sure low has bricked, too!)</font>
Mack: checks
seat 2: checks
seat 4: checks
seat 5: checks
<font color="blue">(Happy days! I get to see 5th street for free!)</font>
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Mack[4c 2h 3d Jd] [8c]
<font color="blue">(A low card, barely.)</font>
Dealt to seat 2 [8s 3h] [Kc]
<font color="blue">(Brick, if he's headed downtown.)</font>
Dealt to seat 4 [9h 8h] [5s]
<font color="blue">(Probably no help. If he IS going low, I've got him beat.)</font>
Dealt to seat 5 [3s Tc] [Js]
<font color="blue">(Another Brick!)</font>
seat 2: checks
seat 4: bets $0.50
<font color="blue">(Pot for sale?)</font>
seat 5: raises $0.50 to $1
<font color="blue">(Who's he kidding?)</font>
Mack: calls $1
<font color="blue">(Hey, I'm alive for half this pot.)</font>
seat 2: folds
seat 4: folds
<font color="blue">(Just as I thought: snowing.)</font>
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Mack[4c 2h 3d Jd 8c] [Kh]
<font color="blue">(Man, Can't catch a baby when I need one!)</font>
Dealt to seat 5 [3s Tc Js] [2d]
<font color="blue">(I've no idea what he raised with.)</font>
Mack: checks
seat 5: checks
<font color="blue">(Phew!)</font>
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to Mack[4c 2h 3d Jd 8c Kh] [7h]
<font color="blue">(At last. A smooth 8,7.)</font>
Mack: checks
seat 5: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mack: shows [4c 2h 3d Jd 8c Kh 7h] (high card King)
seat 5: mucks hand
Mack collected $3.25 from pot

Seat 1: Mackshowed [4c 2h 3d Jd 8c Kh 7h] and won ($3.25) with high card King
Seat 5: seat 5 mucked [Qc 9s 3s Tc Js 2d 7d] - high card Queen

<font color="blue">(I was watching the chat window, and I noticed that I won high with a dry King, but was surprised they didn't mention my low. It wasn't until 30 minutes into the session, after I had tripled my buy in, that I suspected something might be wrong. I had a lock low against two high hands, and failed to be shoved any part of the pot. I looked in vain for a time-out button. Finding none, I was forced to put my thinking cap on, and eventually figured out that I was playing hi-lo on an all-high table. I still managed to end the session up 14 BB's in 30 minutes. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] </font>

Re: Son of Representing Stud for the 2+2 clan: the Online Years
 

I'd want at least $10 to sit in this game, but given your inability to figure out what freakin' game you're in, it's probably just as well that your wife has you on such a short leash.

Hand histories are hard to read. Write a narrative or use bison's hand converter or something.

I'd bring it in for a full bet. If the table is aggressive, limping and re-raising is fine too.

On fifth street, you pay two big bets to try to draw to half of a tiny pot. This can't possibly be a good idea, can it? I mean, dude, if you lose, your stack is going to be crippled, and you'll have to go to your wife and beg for another five bucks.

Seven dollars to the good and you don't know what game you're in. How do you do it?