In a previous article, I gave you a quick and dirty primer on Seven Card Stud. Nothing fancy, just the nuts and bolts to get you started. This week, I want to continue the lesson with some Fixed Limit Stud beginner strategy.
My starter lesson today is the one I try really hard to remember every hand: play tight. Don’t play so tight that you limp into one pot every 50 hands since you have to pay an ante, but concentrate on using sound starting hand selection. It is much harder to get away with poor starting hands in Stud than it is in Hold’em or Omaha, so make sure you are selective. Let’s look at starting hands you will want to consider.
Rolled Up Trips
“Rolled up” is a Seven Card Stud term that refers to a three-of-a-kind on the deal, a pair in the hole and a matching third card as your door card. It is a monster starting hand for rather obvious reasons: three-of-a-kind is the best hand you can have with only three cards and the fact that two of the three cards are hidden from your opponents makes it quite deceptive.
This is probably the only hand in Seven Card Stud that you can risk slow-playing right off the bat, as it might be able to hold up all the way to the river. Keep in mind I said it “might” be able to hold up. If you see straights or flushes developing in your opponents’ hands, be careful. Do not let people draw cheaply to these hands. Additionally, if you have a low set, opponents are more likely to be willing to chase their draws, even draws to better sets, as the card you have showing will not scare them off.
Pairs
One thing that makes Stud unique is that starting pairs come in two different flavors, split pairs and buried pairs. Split pairs are ones in which the exposed card matches a down card. Buried pairs are pairs that are made with both hole cards, with the up card used as a kicker. Buried pairs are obviously stronger, as your opponents will have no idea that you have one, similar to how sets are stronger than trips in Hold’em.
Having a suited kicker (or, at the very least, a connector) makes a pair stronger, as it gives you a backdoor draw; the higher the kicker, the better two pair you can make. Two pair is a very common winning Stud hand. In fact, I almost never see someone win with less than two pair if the hand goes all the way to showdown. Be very aware of your opponents’ door cards, though – your fantastic buried pair of queens is not so fantastic if someone else is showing a queen. If someone showing an overcard to your pair raises, you may also want to tread lightly.
Three-Card Flushes
People love trying to hit flushes in low-stakes Seven Card Stud games. Why not? Flushes are both strong and easy to recognize. While not a made hand like trips or pairs, three-card flushes are very strong. If you complete the flush, you will win most of the time. While you want as strong of a flush as possible, it’s not incredibly important, as it is unlikely that someone else will also score a flush. Remember, you don’t share cards with anyone like you do in Hold’em, so someone else would also have to be dealt at least five suited cards. It happens, though, so beware.
The key for three-card flushes is to be very observant of everyone’s door cards. If you have three hearts and no hearts are face up after the initial deal, you should be in good shape. Every heart you see makes the chances of hitting your flush worse.
Three-Card Straights
When you are dealt three connectors, you have been dealt a three-card straight. Just like with three-card flushes, you haven’t made a hand yet, but it’s a good start. The obvious difference between the two hands is that the straight is weaker. You will still probably win more often than not if you make it, but of course, flushes can beat you too. Again, be mindful of opponents’ up cards. If you have 4-5-6 and you see a handful of deuces, threes, sevens, and eights out, then abandon ship.
High Card
If you haven’t been dealt a pair, trips, a three-card flush, or a three-card straight, then you will want to fold most of the time. There are some exceptions, but they still aren’t particularly strong hands. If all three of your cards are higher than anyone else’s exposed card, it may be worth seeing fourth street as long as nobody has raised. After all, if you pair one of your cards, there is a solid chance that you have the best hand. If you have an ace showing and there are no other aces exposed, then you may want to try raising if nobody else has in an effort to pick up the pot right away.