7 card stud basic strategy
If anyone watched Rounders with Matt Damon, his law professor asks him for advice on 7 card stud. He tells him something like:
Play big pairs, jacks and up, fast... (bet and raise). 3 flushes, and dump everything else. Not a quote obviously, and I may have even missed part of it, but I remember that his advice was actually very good after playing 7 card stud myself for the past 6 years.
Players who are used to holdem tend to make 7 card stud fish. That's because they are still stuck in "2 card" poker mentalities. They'll see AK3 and go nuts because they've got AK!
A very very simple list of starting hands:
Play big pairs, JJ-AA aggressively, betting/raising early to limit the field. In lower limits, if someone raises you with a higher door card, representing a higher pair, you should probably fold. If you are dying to get into a hand, only do so if your pair is hidden and live (ie. you have JJ and no other jacks are showing).
Small pairs should only be played when you have a kicker that is higher than any other card on board. 33A for example. You can improve with an ace or a 3 and probably take down the hand. If your kicker is not an ace or king, consider folding. Again, if your kicker is not an ace or king but is higher than any other card showing, you might take off a card and see what 4th street brings.
3 flushes are good limping hands. You should see no more than 3 of your suit in other players hands to play a 3 flush though. If your 3 flush is a high 3 flush, you can consider raising the bringin to give you more ways to win (by pairing a high card even if you don't catch more of your flush suit). If your 3 flush is low, be very cautious about playing it at all. If your suit is completely live, feel free to limp. If there are 2 or 3 of your suit in other players hands, think twice about playing and certainly don't call if the betting action in front of you is crazy. The low cards gives you less equity, since even if you pair them up, they'll probably still be losers.
3 straights should be mostly avoided. Most solid players will only play a 3 straight if it is not gapped, and contains a ten. 89T through TJQ. This gives you 2 cards on either end to make your straight. Again, you want to be live. A good rule of thumb is if more than 2 of cards you would need to make your straight are gone, don't play the hand. So if you have 9TJ and you see two queens and an 8, don't bother playing it. You just don't really have the outs to justify calling bets. You'll hit once in a blue moon, but the times you miss will be much greater.
Big cards. Hands like AKQ rainbow suits. These are good ante stealing hands. If it's folded to you, completing with a hand like this is a good way to vary your play, as they'll put you on Queens. You've also got a good number of outs that can turn this hand into a good one quickly. Big card hands are also good hands to limp with in late position with a couple of limpers ahead of you. If you can get in cheap and aren't worried about anyone betting raising behind you, you can call and see if 4th street gives you a big pair.
You could follow Damon's advice too... Jacks or higher and 3 flushes only, and be a profitable 7 card stud player.
Stud rewards patience, card counting and players who play LIVE cards. Hands like AA where you see your other two aces dead in two other players hands, are not nearly as powerful as they would be in holdem!
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04-22-2008, 08:33 PM
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