The TV has succeeded in nearly killing off 7 card stud entirely, which really is a shame as it is a great and exciting game. In this article I will endeavour to explain the basics of the game. Anyone who has aspirations to be a great all round poker player really should try and learn all the games that are played as each game requires different skills. It is now considered by many professionals that the winner of the HORSE event at the World Series is as big a winner as the winner of the main event as they have demonstrated their skills in all games, something which new players to the game are often unable to do. HORSE is an acronym for the 5 games played in this event, namely hold’em, omaha, razz, stud and eight or better stud also known as high low. Hold’em and omaha are now pretty well known. Razz is a stud game i.e. there is no flop and is low only with no ceiling on the low, and 7 card stud and eight or better are the main stud games. In order not to over confuse I am going to stick to stud high only, though the betting is the same for high and eight or better and the order for the high hands is obviously the same. The main difference between 7 card stud and hold’em as that there is no flop and no communal cards. The cards a player is dealt are for his/her use only. The game is started with all players being dealt 2 cards face down and one card face up, which is known as the door card. There are no blinds and all players put in a running ante to start the pot off. The lowest door card is the one who must open the betting and this bet is compulsory. There are then 3 more face up cards dealt to each player remaining in the hand and the last card is dealt face down with a round of betting after each card. So to summarise each player is dealt 3 down cards and 4 cards face up and has to make the best poker hand from the 7 cards available to them. With regards the betting it is, both online and at the WSOP, played as a limit game with the small bet on the first and second rounds of betting and the big bet for the last 3 rounds of betting. I could go into much more detail about the actual dynamics of the game but it does not read well and can often be more confusing than if you just play so I will concentrate more on actually how to play the hands you are dealt!!
The absolutely most important thing about playing 7 card stud is that you must concentrate on all the cards that are being dealt out. Not just the hands in play but you must try and remember the up cards that have been passed as they may have relevance to your hand; therefore multitabling at this game is harder and less advisable than in flop games. The beauty of some of the cards being face up is that they can give you a very good idea of what you opponent is holding. The door card can often be a key to this but not always, i.e. if their door card is an ace and the player has raised there is a good chance they are playing aces, information not so readily available in hold’em!! Because of this you must keep looking at what your opponent is hitting and not just play your own hand. You have a lot of information about their hand as 4 of their 7 cards are open, so use it!
To start with you want to be playing cards that work together. For example pairs or 3 cards of the same suit or 3 cards running to start a straight. However do not just play these cards blindly, look at what other cards are out. As a basic rule if you have say 3 hearts and there are 3 or more other hearts showing I would probably get rid as you have to assume that players also have hearts in their down cards which means the number of hearts left for you to make your flush is limited. The main exception to this rule is if your 3 hearts are straightening cards also, for example 9 10 jack etc, then you may wish to play the hand. As regards straightening cards a similar rule applies, you want the cards you need to complete your straight to be "live" so look to see what door cards are out to help you make your decision. Pairs are also almost always playable. However if you have for example a pair of 8's with a 7 and there is an 8 and a 7 out I would probably pass as your cards are pretty dead and in stud 1 pair rarely wins. If you have a big pair then you can probably play it even if some of your other cards are out but you must remember this is not hold’em and a bigger pair against a smaller pair, though still favourite, is not nearly such a big favourite and to compound that, it is played as a limit game which in itself reduces the odds still further. Also be aware if playing small pairs against what you suspect is a bigger pair look at what "kicker" you have with it. For example, if you have a pair 3's with a 2 or a 4 then it may well be that you end up hitting 2 small pair which can be a very vulnerable hand. However on the up side of this you may hit some other low cards which may help you make a straight, every cloud has a silver lining! The 1 hand you will always play, however, is when you have trips first 3 cards. Known as "rolled up" This is a very strong hand, though not that common. If you are lucky enough to be dealt this hand you can play it in a variety of ways, just like aces in hold’em, but because this is a limit game I tend to play big hands aggressively. This is because by trap checking you are not going to get your opponent to bluff or bet all their chips in one go so try and get as many bets out of them as possible!! This strategy is probably applicable to most hands you play. In limit, if you think you’re winning then bet, you want to try and win as many big bets as possible. It is not like no limit where you can slow play and hope to win all of your opponents’ chips, so as a general basic rule if you think you are in front keep betting or raising. A rolled up hand is even better than aces in hold’em, play it good and play it strong :) So, now you know what cards to play from card 3 onto what to do with them at the later stages of the hand. If you are playing a low pair and you think your opponents are playing a higher pair then as a general rule I will call until card 5 to see if I can improve. Improving doesn’t just mean hitting a second pair or trips you may pick up a four flush or four straight. The reason I say to play until cards 5 is because the betting after card 5 becomes the big bet, i.e. if you are playing $2 $4 limit the bet on card 3 and 4 is $2 and after card 5 it is $4 so you can play until then "cheaply". If the hand is multi-handed and you don’t think that anyone has yet improved much i.e. they have not hit an open pair for example you may want to call again to try and improve, as you will, in a limit game, probably be getting the right odds. If someone hits an open pair, especially if it is pairing their door card, be aware that this often means they have hit trips and this is a dangerous situation. On the reverse side of this, if your open cards are improving and looking dangerous, you can start betting or raising to represent the hand you are showing, even if you don't have it! Just remember that in stud you have a lot more information about what your opponents hand is as over half their cards are open, so keep looking at what they are showing and try and work out what it is they have. It is often much easier to do this than in flop games so use it to your advantage. What they are hitting and showing is just as important as what you actually have. The "overlay" i.e. their open cards (and yours) are vital in stud so keep your eye on them; the clues are there, just try and interpret them correctly. Like all games, practice will improve your read and the accuracy with which you can read situations and in stud your read can become very accurate, more so than in hold’em, due to the open cards.
Another thing I see players do a lot, which in my opinion is a mistake is to chase when they have ace king in the box and their other card is completely unconnected. This is not hold’em and ace king is not a good hand. Players will often already have their pairs and if you chase the ace you may well hit it and lose. Also if you start with say 3 flush or straight and miss everything card 4 and 5 just pass there is no point chasing runner-runner it will not be profitable in the long run. It is always very hard to cover all the complexities of a poker game in 1 article, as like in all games, it is intricate and an eternal learning process but I hope I have managed to cover a few of the basics to get you started! 7 card stud really is an exciting game that I hope will make a comeback soon. It is especially fun for beginners as you can make a lot of good hands. The main things to do are:- - Concentrate on passed cards
- Always keep an eye on your opponents boards to see if they are improving
- If you think you are winning then keep betting
- And above all enjoy yourself!!
It is, after all, only a game J |
