Hands are crucial in seven-card stud, and unless you understand the value of starting hands, you’ll be fleeced by the experienced players. In general, there are four categories of strength in starting hands.
1. Very Strong Hands: a hand that consists of three of the same cards is the poker player’s dream. It won’t happen often – only once in about 425 hands – but when it does, you’ve probably got a winner .
But you don’t want to win just the antes and bring in bets, so you’ve got to be able to read the other players. Will a raise on the first round of betting chase out the other players? If you believe it will, you might want to hold off your first raise until at least the next round. On the other hand, if several players have already entered the pot, a raise is unlikely to force them to fold. Don’t get too cocky, however. Three of a kind is a strong hand, but it does occasionally get beaten.
2. Strong Hands: a high pair is valuable in seven-card stud but, in most cases, it will need some improvement. It is particularly dangerous if someone else has a higher pair. If this is the case, you should discard your hand. One exception is if your kicker – your next highest card – is higher than your opponent’s kicker. Nevertheless this hand should be played aggressively and, in most cases, you’ll play it to the river.
3. Good Hands: whether and how to play small and middle pairs are sometimes the most complicated decisions in seven-card stud. The most important factor is whether the cards you need to improve your hands are available. When you need another Four, for instance, and you see the third Four in your opponent’s hand, it doesn’t leave much of a chance to find the fourth in one of your draw cards. Another factor, however, is the size of your kicker. If you have a big card along with a small or medium pair, you’ve got another avenue to go if you get lucky.
4. Possible Hands: these are hands that need help, but still have the possibility to become good hands. They include three-card flushes and three-card straights. Once again, the upcards of your opponents will give you the best clue about how viable your hands are. And once again, the size of your kicker is a consideration in determining the value of this hand.
DOWN THE STREETS
As mentioned previously, all decisions made affect your ability to win. As the game proceeds, however, the decisions made can become very costly unless you understand the possibilities. You must be able to assess not only your opponents’ cards but also exactly how they relate to your own hand.
Several strategies are called for in specific situations. If you make the hand you’re looking for, bet it to the limit. If you pull a flush on sixth street, for instance, you should not check. Since some of your cards must be exposed, your opponent will suspect a flush, and not bet into your check.
That means you’ll lose a chance to get a double bet by every active player into the pot. If you check and give the active players a chance to get another card, there’s a chance they may draw a hand that might beat your flush, costing you the entire pot. If you’ve got it, bet it.
If your opponent draws a third suited card, or a third card to a straight, check or call. This isn’t a point to play aggressively because if you raise, your opponent will undoubtedly raise as well. It could end up costing you serious money. Another situation to beware of is when a player pairs an
exposed card on the board. This gives him a good chance to have three of a kind. Even if he doesn’t, he may have a quality hand. Unless you can beat him with a better hand, or you’re looking at a particularly good pot, retire.
Once you have decided to bet on fifth street, it rarely makes sense to fold before the river. The only exception to this rule is if you can clearly see that your hand cannot be improved enough on sixth street to beat a threatening hand held by an opponent. If you decide to go through on sixth street, do not fold on the river. If your opponent is bluffing, you have a chance to catch him at it, and you only have to expose a bluff once in a while to make it worth your while to go all the way.