How to Play Chicago Hi-Low

Chicago poker is a variation of Seven Card Stud with two different ways to play. In Chicago the player with the best hand wins, but the player with either the highest or the lowest spade card also wins depending on whether you're playing Chicago Hi or Chicago Low.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Start Chicago poker by dealing two cards face down and one card face up to each player. Have a betting round, starting with the player who has the lowest face-up card.

2. Give each player another face up card. After dealing the card, have another betting round. This time, the betting starts with the best hand showing. The best hand showing is the best two-card combination among the face-up cards.

3. Provide every player a third face-up card followed by another around of betting. Again, the betting round begins with the player who has the best hand showing.

4. Deal one more round of face up cards. After the cards are down, it's time for the final betting round, which again begins with the best poker hand showing.

5. Distribute one more face down card. Every player will now have four face-up cards and three face-down cards

6. Determine the winners. Half the pot goes to the player who can assemble the best five card hand with her seven cards. The other half of the pot goes to the player who has the highest spade card if you're playing Chicago Hi poker or the player who has the lowest spade card if you're playing Chicago Low poker.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also play another Seven Card Stud variation called San Francisco Poker. San Francisco Poker plays just like Chicago Hi-Low except the highest heart card takes half the pot instead of the highest or lowest spade card.