Basic Stud8 strategy for a HE player

[Captain R]

Here's my first post in the Stud8 section. A little background about me because I think it will help with the next part of my post, which is questions about low-limit Stud8 strategy.

I've been playing HE poker for about 2 years, building up a $100 bankroll playing limit 2-4 B&M up to now a relatively good 8-16 player with a bankroll ready to start tackling the 20-40 games. IMO, I'm generally the top 1 or 2 players at my 8-16 tables and so far it's been good. However, I decided to expand my poker horizons and pick up Stud8 and am having the damndest time figuring this game out. The game seems completely different and a lot of HE concepts don't seem to apply. Here's how I view myself as a HE player and where I get most of my overlay playing HE:

Preflop standards: A
Player reading/hand reading: B
Using position: B
Hand protection: B
Dropping weak hands: B
Value betting: B
Stealing: B
Bluffing/Fearlessness: D

But I'm finding that a lot of these skills are not translating over to Stud8. Here's my typical Stud8 game. It's 4-8 limit, $1 ante, $1 bring-in ring game. Typically 6-8 players sitting at the table. If it's limped in, typically 2/3 limp in, if it's raised, maybe 1/3 will go-in. Generally loose and passive, probably typical of low-limit Stud8.

My 3rd street game is fairly bad at Stud8, but I'm learning by reading SuperSystem 2. I'm misplaying marginal hands quite a bit 4th street and later. Some HE concepts seem greatly reduced in importance -- position is not as important since it changes, stealing is pretty hard to do (hands generally go to showdown), hand protection seems almost pointless... the only skills it seems like I'm using are hand reading/player reading and value betting. So I'm trying to figure out where you generally get your overlay in Stud8 and what mistakes you can best take advantage of.

Some things I've learned -- 2 pair sucks. Aces up is marginal and can get you the high, but you really need to have trips or higher to be betting and "charging" those draws.

It seems like aggressiveness without a strong made hand does not work very well. On 3rd street you can raise with a good starting hand, and on 4th street you can bet/raise with a good drawing hand, but from there on you're betting/raising with made lows and made good highs. Betting with two pair can be pretty marginal, especially if it's anything less than Aces up. So far it seems like I'm betting/raising more than most people, and it doesn't seem like the correct strategy. Another thing I noticed that's different is that a lot of streets will get checked around if people catch bricks, whereas in HE this is rarely the case. Hand protection on anything other than a made low or a pretty good high seems questionable.

So is low-limit Stud8 all about starting hands and then just checking around until you hit your low and then betting/raising? Should I turn into a checking/calling station until I hit my hand? Or what should I be concentrating on to beat this game? Here's one basic question, how do you play split Aces with a small kicker. Raise on 3rd, but how far can you take this hand betting all the way?

Thanks,
Ray