Seven Card Stud

It is widely known that Texas Hold'em is the world's most popular poker variant. That being established, there are many other forms of poker that are played all over the world in casino's, online and in home games. In this issue, Card Player India will try to bring to it's readers a basic explanation of how to play 7 Card Stud and basic strategy for this form of poker.


How to play:
Seven Card Stud is usually played with between four and eight players and a standard deck of fifty two cards. Unlike Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud uses antes rather than blinds. Before each player is dealt cards, they must put an ante into the pot. This is a forced bet that everyone at the table must make. Antes vary depending on the limit of the game you are playing.

After each player has placed their ante, the dealer gives each player three cards- the two hole cards and one card face up. Face up cards in Seven Card Stud are individual cards for each player, they are not community cards. Once the cards are dealt, the player with the lowest up card is forced to make a bring in bet. If there is a tie for the lowest card, the tie is broken by suit. Clubs is the strongest, followed by diamonds, hearts and then spades as the weakest. The bring in bet is usually about half of the small bet in the game. After the bring in bet has been made, play continues around the table in a clockwise motion. Each player has the option of folding, calling or raising.

During fourth street, the dealer gives each player another face up card, play then begins with the player who has the highest showing poker hand. Play continues as normal in a clockwise motion until all players have acted.

The action is the same when the 5^th and the 6^th card's are dealt, only the minimum bet size is doubled. In the last round of play, the dealer gives all remaining players one final card face down. Play begins with the player who has the highest ranking poker hand. Once all players have had the chance to act, there is a showdown. The last player to bet or raise must reveal their cards first and then all challenging players can choose to either muck their hand in the event that cannot win, or they can reveal their hand if it is powerful enough to take the pot.

General Strategy: 
Seven Card Stud is a High card game. More winning hands are decided by the highest pair of two pair or just the highest pair, than by straights, flushes and 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 card that is higher than anything up on the board. These draw hands and low pair starting hands need to improve or turn a high pair quickly to justify continued play. Any time your high hand is beaten on the board, fold, unless you think you still have the best draw hand. Fast play early high hands ( that could win without improvement) to thin out the competition. Slow play draw hands to keep other players in to increase the pot odds in case you hit.

Definitions:
HIGH CARDS - 10 through A


LOW CARDS - 9 through 2

SPLIT PAIR - Starting hand with one of your pair cards down and the other up.

CONCEALED PAIR - Starting hand with both of your pair cards in the hole and your side card kicker up.

DOOR CARD - The exposed upcard of a starting hand.

DEAD CARDS - Cards that have been revealed and no longer in the deck.

FAST PLAY - Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players out as possible.

SLOW PLAY - Just check and call along to keep other players in the game and increase the pot odds.

CHECK-FOLD - Check when you can and fold if you are bet into. Gladly accept all free cards offered.

Normally Playable Starting Hands:

HIGH TRIPS - (AAA down to 101010). Fast play these. Your opponents will put you on a high pair.

LOW TRIPS - (999 down to 222). Slow play until your 5th street bet. Keep 'em guessing.

HIGH PAIR - (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010). Fast play these, split or concealed, if they are not overcarded on the board. Try to narrow the field and play fast until threatened by a higher hand. 

LOW PAIR/ High Kicker - Slow play split or concealed low pairs with a kicker that is higher than any upcard on the board. Fold this hand if two or more of your key cards are dead. Check-fold if you don't get trips or two pair on the next card.

CONCEALED LOW PAIR/ No High Kicker - Slow play for trips on 4th street. Fold if one or both of your pair cards are dead. Check-fold if you don't make trips or two pair on the next card.

HIGH OVERCARDS - Two or three high cards that are higher than anything on the board. Slow play and check-fold if they don't make a high pair on the next card.

HIGH 3 CARD FLUSH - (2h 10h Kh). Must have at least two high cards. Fold if three or more cards of your suit are dead. Slow play and check-fold if you don't make a four card flush or a high pair on the next card.

HIGH 3 CARD STRAIGHT - (9 10 J ) to Q K A). Slow play and check-fold if you don't make a four card straight or a high pair on the next card.

ANY 3 CARDS TO A STRAIGHT FLUSH - (5d 7d 9d). Fold if four or more of your key straight and flush cards are dead. Slow play and check-fold if you don't make any four cards to a straight or a four card flush.