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Limit Seven-Card Stud Beginners Guide Part 3
By Sean Lind
Part two of our beginners guide to Stud detailed some common mistakes, starting hands and the concept of stealing antes. In the final part we'll explore how to play the different types of starting hands.
Playing Rolled-Up Trips
On average, you will be dealt rolled-up trips once every 425 times. This is the strongest holding you can start with, though it doesn't necessarily mean you should always slow-play the hand. In a loose game, where lots of players give action with a wide variety of hands, slow-playing is almost always incorrect.
A good time to slow-play the hand is when you do not want to give your hand away. For example, a king raises and then an ace reraises. If you then reraise with something like rolled-up deuces, you announce to the table what your holding is.
In this case it is better to just smooth-call and reveal your true strength in later betting rounds. An exception would be if you have been making many advertising plays or have frequently reraised with hands like three-flushes.
In these cases, your hand can be played fast from third street onward. When slow-playing your trips, it is usually best to wait until fifth or sixth street before putting in your first raise.
Such a decision should be based on what your opponents' likely holdings are, how many players are in the pot and how big the pot is.
Playing Big Pairs
The big pairs are AA-JJ. These hands should almost always be played. The only times to fold them are when you are fairly certain that you are up against a bigger pair, or when your cards are dead (both of the other cards are already out).
Amarillo Slim Preston once rode in a Studebaker.
A pair of jacks can also be folded when you have a bad kicker to your pair and there are many big cards left to act behind you. Another occasion when it is correct to muck your big pair is when the pot has been raised and reraised by players with bigger up cards than your pair.
For example, you hold a pair of jacks and a king raises, only to be reraised by an ace before it is your turn to act.
Remember that a two-flush and/or a two-straight to go with your pair give(s) additional value to the hand. Before folding your big pairs, always consider the action and the opponents giving the action.
If one of your opponents pairs their door card, and you don't have a four-flush or a four-straight, it is usually correct to fold your big pair.
Playing Small and Medium Pairs
When deciding whether or not to play the medium pairs, always consider the following factors (the first two are the most important):
- If you are not in a steal position, make sure all your cards are live before you decide to play.
- Do you have a strong kicker?
- What are the other up cards?
- Is the game tight or loose?
- Your hand is stronger when your pair is concealed.
- Holding a two-flush and/or a two-straight gives your pair additional value.
You should generally fold your medium pairs in raised pots, unless you have a bigger kicker than the pair the raiser is representing. When you hold a medium pair and there are no up cards higher than your pair on the board, you should almost always raise with them.
If you have a strong kicker to your pair, it holds certain advantages. For example, it allows you to represent a higher pair than what you hold and it increases your chances of ending up with the best two pair.
If the pot is raised and you have a strong kicker, you should call. If the pot has been raised and reraised, you should generally fold no matter what additional value you hold.
Playing Three-Flushes
The way you play three-flushes very much depends on four factors:
- How high are your cards?
- How many of your cards are live?
- What is your up card?
- What is your position?
These factors greatly affect the way this type of hand should be played. Some three-flushes play better heads-up and some play better in multiway pots.
If all your flush cards are live but none of your pair cards are, then the hand will be played better in multiway pots. This is because you will most likely need to hit your flush in order to win the pot.
Doyle's poker playing is artful, making the Bellagio his studio.
This will not happen as often as winning by pairing, so you want to ensure the pot is big enough for those times you hit your flush.
Remember, if all your flush cards are live the hand is almost always playable. If you have high up cards, you should almost always raise when you are first in.
Such a tactic also works well with the ante-stealing strategy, as it adds deception to your play.
Playing Three-Straights
Three-straights are generally not as powerful as three-flushes. Nonetheless, they can still be profitable hands. You must consider the following factors when deciding whether or not to play three-straights:
- How high are your cards?
- How many of your cards are live?
- What is your up card?
- Do you also have a two-flush?
- What are the other cards on the board?
- Who and how many players are already involved in the pot?
- How much will it cost you to play?
- How well do your opponents play?
Obviously, the more factors working in your favor, the more advisable it is to play the hand.
When the pot has been raised and reraised, only play three-straights if your cards are live, if you have high cards and/or a two-flush.
When you hold smaller unsuited three-straights, such as (7
8
) 9
, the most important factor to consider is how live the sixes and tens are. In general, do not play gut-shot three-straights unless you have high cards and/or a two-flush, and your gap card is live.
For example, a hand like (Q
J) 9 can be played if no tens are out and it appears that you could win the pot if you paired one of your hole cards.
Even though it can be played, the odds of this hand winning the pot are very low. In general you only want to play connected straights, or gappers with flush potential.
| Hand-Against-Hand Here are a few computer simulations of interesting hand matchups:
The Effects of Dead Cards Below are a number of tables displaying how your chances of making a certain hand change, depending on the number of dead cards.
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Stud is one of the oldest forms of poker, and still a favorite game to many. Next time you're spreading a home-game, add some stud into your rotation and you'll be glad you did.
More strategy articles from Sean Lind:
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