7 Card Stud Poker Strategy Part 1

To some 7 Card Stud is the only form of Poker that should be played. It is second only to Texas Hold ‘em. Although similar to other forms of Poker, many people go in blind not knowing fully what they are doing. With high hopes and a nice bank roll players just sit and watch their money drift away. This article is focused on how to pick out the weak player, and more important how to be the one that takes them for a ride. No plan is fool proof, but with proper playing and wiser decisions you can be on the opposite end of a bad hand a lot quicker. Set into a 2 part series, the first part deals with items you need to look at when approaching a 7 Card Stud Poker game, and the second part of the series deals with the strategies that players use while playing 7 Card Stud. We broke it down to 2 parts for easy absorption and flow of readability.

So without further adieu let’s start by taking a look at some important factors involved when sitting down to play a stud Poker game. Most people pay attention to their cards alone, however if you think about all of the factors that play a role what you have in your hand is just a minor factor in the grand scheme of things.

When starting there are some questions you need to ask yourself and think about when sitting down at a Poker table:

An important question to consider is what type of stud is being played? The type of Stud determines the exact strategy as it can vary from game to game as with 5 Card Stud Poker you have few options to draw optimal cards, while in 8 Card Stud Poker you have a longer leeway to test the waters and pull out before committing to the pot.

What are the table stakes? Can you bet high, or is it a low maximum? This will tell you more about how much you can bet, it will give you an inside look at your opponents. More often then not, with low stakes Poker players are more willing to commit to the pot regardless if their hand is good or not. They tend to hope for the best and not worry about possible outcomes. This is discussed in more detail in Part 2 of the 7 Card Stud Poker Strategy.

What cards do you have in your hand? Just as important, what cards are shown on the table? Some players focus on their cards alone and this is a big mistake. By knowing what your opponents are showing you can put together better probabilities of getting the card you need. If you need an 8 and there is an 8 showing on the table – chances are against you getting the next 8.

How do your opponents look? Are they easy to read with big tells, or are they solid players that look like they come with lots of experience of playing Poker? This is especially true with novice players who are just trying to find ways to hide their tell. Some players are not even aware that they have a certain tell, when you see this sit down and prepare to be the one to clean them out.

How many players are at your table? As well how many are still involved in the current hand? This has many advantages, more players can mean bigger pots, but if only a couple players are left in the hand it may mean they have a hand worth fighting for.

These are all major factors when it comes to planning your strategy; it’s not just about the cards you hold. Next time you sit at a Poker table, take some time to go over these factors in your head. If you do it enough times after a while it will become second nature.

Continue on to Part 2