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Stud 8: an Ace completes or bets. Fold, call or raise?
An Ace is the most valuable card in Stud 8: it is the best low card and the highest high card, so an opponent who shows one and raises can be on a low draw, a pair of Aces or a three-flush. The usual question is whether a pair, a small pair or a low draw without an Ace can continue against it. These pages put the heads-up solver's numbers on exactly that, on 3rd street (the Ace completes over your bring-in) and on 4th street (the Ace catches a low card and bets).
The spots, in one table
| Spot | Solver's main play (how often) | Worth (EV estimate, small bets) | Common advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stud 8: Queens in the hole, an Ace completes your bring-in | Re-raise (100.0%) | +0.94 | disagrees |
| Stud 8: Kings in the hole, an Ace completes your bring-in | Re-raise (100.0%) | +0.94 | disagrees |
| Stud 8: a pair of 5s, you brought in with a 2, an Ace completes | Call (87.3%) | +0.04 | disagrees |
| Stud 8: brought in with 2-4-6, an Ace completes. Defend? | Call (87.2%) | +0.48 | disagrees |
| Stud 8 4th street: Kings against an Ace that catches a 5 and bets. Call or fold? | Call (93.7%) | +1.48 | disagrees |
Heads-up limit Stud 8; "how often" is the solver's strategy, "worth" is measured from this decision on (fold = 0). Each spot page has the full table, the why and the method.
What the numbers add up to
Across the 5 single-decision spots here, the solver's main play puts more money in (completes, bets or raises) in 2, calls in 3.
A published answer was found for 5 of them; heads-up, the solver agrees with it in 0, partly agrees in 0 and disagrees in 5.
The costliest piece of common advice here, by the measured values: Stud 8 4th street: Kings against an Ace that catches a 5 and bets. Call or fold. The advice says fold (0 small bets from here on); the solver's call measured +1.48, a gap of 1.48 small bets.
Closest calls (two plays worth about the same, so either is fine): Stud 8: a pair of 5s, you brought in with a 2, an Ace completes (call or fold); Stud 8 4th street: Kings against an Ace that catches a 5 and bets. Call or fold (call or raise).
The spots
- In Stud 8, I brought in with a 7 and Queens in the hole; an Ace completes. Fold, call or re-raise?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Stud 8 solver re-raises with a pair of Queens when an Ace completes 100.0% of the time. - In Stud 8, I brought in with a 2 and have Kings in the hole; an Ace completes. Fold, call or re-raise?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Stud 8 solver re-raises with Kings in the hole when an Ace completes 100.0% of the time. - In Stud 8, I brought in with a 2 and have a pair of 5s; an Ace completes. Call?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Stud 8 solver calls with a pair of 5s and a 2 up when an Ace completes 87% of the time, and re-raises 13%. - In Stud 8, I brought in with 2-4-6 (no Ace) and an Ace completes. Defend?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Stud 8 solver calls with 2-4-6 when an Ace completes 87% of the time, and re-raises 13%. - In Stud 8 4th street, I have Kings (K-K-7) and caught a 9; my opponent shows A-5 and bets. Call or fold?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Stud 8 solver calls with Kings and 7-9 showing against A-5 94% of the time.
Numbers from PokerToast's heads-up limit Stud 8 solver, version E-7862000-20261005095629, looked up when this page was built (2026-10-19). Heads-up only; hand groups, not exact cards; EVs are measured estimates against an opponent who plays like the solver.