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How to Dominate 7 Card Stud Poker Games

November 21, 2008

Seven card stud is a high card game. More winning hands are decided by the higher pair of two pair or just the highest pair, than by straights, flushes and by other big hands. So if you start with a straight or flush draw, it should have at least two high cards or at least one higher card than anything on the board. These draw hands must turn in your favor quickly, in order to realistically justify staying in the hand. When you see that your hand is beaten by the board you should have no question to yourself and fold. More times than not as in other poker games, staying in on draw hands is just not the smart play.

Fast playing big hands early is a general strategy, that’s used to weed out the players who don’t have hands strong enough to continue to call maximum bets. Slow play draw hands to keep players in to help with the pot odds leaning more in your favor.

Strategic Advice

1. Be very selective in your starting hands: nothing is more important than choosing a correct starting hand for a certain situation.

2. Table selection: only play in games where you feel you have an edge. You want at least a couple of weak players at the table when you sit down.

3. “Play the players”: make sure you quickly assess the opposition: who plays weak hands, who folds to aggression, who bets with draws, who calls bets weak hands and long-shot draws, who can be bluffed and who bluffs, etc.

4. Remember the upcards: be sure to look at all of your opponents’ upcards and remember them. It is very important for you to know the all the hands still in play are “live”. Meaning the cards you need to make your hand are not gone.

5. Raise with your strong draws: whenever you hit a good draw, like four flush on fourth-street, always consider raising instead of just calling. This move might make your opponent lay down a strong hand to your strong draw.

What to Avoid

1. Playing to many starting hands.

2. Not paying attention to what cards are out.

3. Not folding with a modest hand.

4. Not raising with premium hands, thus letting more drawing hands in.

5. Drawing for cards that are likely to give you the second-best hand. For example your opponent raises with a King on board and you have a pair of 5’s.

6. Paying exclusive attention to your own game and not that of your opponents. How many players are still in on fourth-street? What type of players are left in the pot? These questions and many more like it are all ones that you should be posing to yourself.

7. If your hand is worth staying in after third and fourth streets, you should be raising to protect your hand.

8. Beware of playing the calling game all the way to the river unless pot odds are in your favor.

My main focus is to give you a good nucleus of information so that you can pick out certain strategies that specifically work for you.

Written by Rob · Filed Under HORSE Poker Strategy 

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