Out of all the different HORSE Poker games such as hold 'em, omaha, razz, and stud, 7-card stud is the game that you need to be on the look out for most. That is not because it is considered the most difficult, as many feel that the game of razz is much harder, but because the transition from game to game is obvious except when you move from razz to stud.
When you move from hold 'em to Omaha, you go from being dealt 2 cards to 4 which is noticeably different. And then when you move from omaha to razz, again you have a change in how many hole cards you have. This is not the case from razz to stud as you have the same amount of hole cards dealt but you are playing a completely different game. Many players will get several hands in before they realize that their 2-3-4 is no match for the 10-J-A.
Have you played HORSE poker online yet ? Check out PokerStars
Aside from paying attention, 7-card stud is also important to focus on because seven card stud makes up 40% of the game of Horse and 60% if you include razz. And since so many players are weak in these games, it would be to your advantage to learn some simple stud strategies to give you an edge. While keeping that in mind we would like to present you with the Top 5 Seven Card Strategy Tips that will give you an edge if integrated into your poker strategy arsenal.
Top 5 Tips
Starting Hands: Poker players are probably tired of hearing about how important it is to choose the correct starting hands when entering a pot. However, it is very important and needs to be stressed as it sets the tone for you for the rest of the hand. When choosing a starting hand in stud there are a few different things you want. First, the 3 cards you have should make a pair with a good kicker. This is amplified if your door card is the kicker as your pair is hidden and if you hit a set on a later street, it is disguised. Secondly, you will want to have a starting hand that can create a combination of hands such as straights or flushes. Although any combination will technically work, obviously the higher hand will win. So keep in mind that starting with a combination of a hand like Kh-Qd-9h is much better than starting with 2d-3h-6h. However, when playing stud 8 or better where a low hand up to 7 can split the pot (or scoop providing it's the best hand), low hands that are suited and connected may be feasible to play. Razz Starting Hands: Razz is the opposite of course where you will want to focus on starting with the 3 lowest cards possible with A-2-3 being the best. Straights and flushes will not hurt you here.
Looking for a US friendly HORSE poker room ? Check out Full Tilt Poker
Door Cards: Door cards are great because they can work to your advantage in a couple different ways. If you have a high door card then it may be possible to steal the antes with a few well-timed bluffs. Mixing a few bluffs in with the real thing can set you up for some very large and satisfying pots later on in the game. Another great thing about door cards is that if your door card is mediocre, it can help set up for a decent hand if you have two high cards or a pair that is face down. This of course is even better if you have a weak door card with two high cards faced down but all three are suited. Razz Door Cards: The same concept applies to razz as well. By having a low card such as A-5 in the door, you can bluff opponents off hands that may have been quite playable.
Dead Cards: Dead cards in stud are the cards that are in play that cannot be dealt to you. In 7-card stud, this is a bad thing as those are your outs to a better hand. For example, if you are dealt two 8's face down and see that the other two 8's are in the doors of your opponents, then you now know that a set or 4 of a kind is not possible and decreasing the value of your hand. As with flushes and straights, you will want to count how many of your outs are in the hands of your opponents and calculate that into your odds into making an educated decision before moving forward. Razz Dead Cards: In razz, dead cards are great because you do not want to make pairs or have high cards in your hand. So the more of these cards that you see in your opponents hand the better the situation and the more valuable your hand becomes.
Chasing Draws: In any poker game chasing draws can be negative equity in the long run. It is very important to asses the situation and see if chasing your hand is worth the money in the pot. A few things that you will want to look at is your opponents cards, the money in the pot and what it takes to win, and how many cards are left to come. Just because you are dealt 7 cards, it does not justify chasing outrageous runner-runner flush and straight draws.
Slow Playing: Since you are playing a limit game, it really becomes dangerous to slow play a hand. It is very difficult to bet enough to push a player off a hand much less a good draw. So value betting becomes important here. You want to make sure that when you have a hand you are extracting as much money for it while at the same time trying to prevent your opponents from receiving a free card that could improve their hand and beat you.
In closing, stud is similar to any poker game in terms of basic strategy. You automatically have an advantage over many of your opponents by employing the simplest of techniques such as starting hands and being cautious when chasing draws or slow playing a monster. By adding these 5 simple tips to your poker arsenal, you are creating an edge over your opponents which in return should bring in a few extra pots.
4kingpoker.com is not a poker room operator. Online Poker is not legal in all juristictions around the world, so please ensure that it is legal in the country / area you reside in. 4kingpoker accepts no liability whatsoever for the information contained on this site. All information is for entertainment purposes only.
