As the name suggests, in 7 Card Stud, you will have to choose the final 5 cards from 7 cards. These cards should be the highest. This game requires the player to have a good memory, playing skill and great strategy to make the game enjoyable. The fact that there are so many cards on the table can be confusing for people who do not have a good memory.
The game starts with all the players contributing to the pot, followed by the dealer dealing the players two cards face down and one card face up. The two cards face down are known as hole cards. Once all the cards are dealt, players can then look at their hole cards.
Usually the player with the lowest face up card is the one who will post a small bet known as bring in. Then the player sitting on the left continues with the wager. In betting continues and during this time players can call, raise or fold their hands.
Once the first round of betting is completed, the dealer deals each player another card face up. This is known as the turn or fourth street. This is followed by another round of betting. In this round, the player with the highest face up card starts the betting. From this round onwards, this will be the norm for betting.
After the round of betting is completed, the fifth card is dealt face up. This card is known as the river or the fifth street. This leads to the next round of better, after which is the sixth card is dealt face up.
Thereafter another round of betting takes place, and the seventh card is dealt. This card is dealt face up and it is the last card to be dealt. This is followed by the last round of betting after which the showdown occurs.
Here the players take the five best cards from their seven to make a winning combination. The player with the best combination is the winner.
The best hand in 7 Card Stud is Three of a Kind. This is also known as Trips or a set. The higher the value of the set, the better it is. In case you suspect a player of having Trips, it is best to fold. Therefore, it is best not to let other players know. You should bet small. Your aim should be to keep as many players playing without folding for as long as possible. This will help the pot to build up to a sizeable amount.
The next best combination is a high pair. It is best to have a high pair in the hole cards as the face up cards can be seen by other players and therefore, renders them worthless. A high pair is considered to be one of the best starting hands a player can get. With this you are in a good position for the opening bet, raise or re-raise, especially if you holding a Jack or higher cards.
With a high pair, your aim should be to get rid of as many players as possible during the third and fourth streets. Also, you are looking to better your hand. So, by getting rid of players, it is a possibility that you will get good cards. In case other players have better cards, it is best to stick at a single raise. This is especially true if there is a King and Ace on the table. By the sixth and seventh streets, if you have improved your pair, it is best to go for a raise. If not, you should be looking to fold or making a check.
If you have three cards to a Flush, then you will need cards to make something out of your said. However, you can still risk a raise. How much money you can wager ultimately depends on your door card. Nonetheless, you have to make sure that you do not give yourself away. If you have a door card which is Face cards like Ace, King, Queen or Jack and you raise, other players will think you have a high pair. In case you do not have a high door card, you will need a Jack or something higher in the Flush to make it reasonable for you to continue betting. At the same time, this will also bring you closer to a Flush or a High Pair.
In case your door card is not high and you do not have a high card, then try to get to the fourth street without betting too much money. However, if the hand still does not take shape, it is time to fold.
