7 Card Stud Strategy
Best 7-Card Stud Starting Hands
Similar to Hold'em and Omaha, 7-Card Stud strategy is all about starting strong. Choosing the right hands to play is one of the first skills you need to develop as a player and while there's certainly room to get creative once you've mastered the basics, we'd suggest you stick to the following range of hands when you first play.
Trips
e.g. (A-A) A
Set the initial stakes. 7 Card Stud is usually a fixed limit game, meaning that you are only allowed to raise by a limited amount in each betting round. Agree on an initial “small bet” and “big bet” with your fellow players. For instance, you might set limits of $2/$4, or $10/$20. The “door card” feature of stud games that forces players into difficult betting situations will only make you a better poker player; many 7 card fans end up learning the basics of card counting, a skill that will serve poker players well on almost any game held in a poker room or at your buddy’s house on a Friday night.
Getting dealt three of a kind as your first three cards is huge and you should look to re-raise pre-flop with these hands as much as possible.
High Pairs
e.g. A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, 10-10
How Do You Play 7 Card Stud
Playing a high pair should be a standard move in your Stud strategy arsenal. One point to remember though is that you shouldn't get too out of line in later rounds if your opponents are showing high cards.
Low Pair / High Kicker
e.g. (2-2) A
Low pairs (concealed) and a high kicker as an up-card are great hands to play because the high card will not only help if you're tied with an opponent, but it also gives you a chance to make a strong two-pair hand.
Concealed Low Pair / No High Kicker
e.g (3-3) 5
These hands should be played cautiously. If you're able to make the first raise then do so, but don't play these hands if the action is too heavy in front of you.
High Overcards
e.g. (Q-J) A
If you have three high cards in your starting hand then these are worth playing, but only if the conditions are right. Don't get too aggressive with these hands and don't spend too much trying to hit a pair on later streets.
Flush Cards
p>b{e.g. (As 2s) 5s}
Three of the same suit is always worth playing pre-flop. Although you shouldn't mind calling a small raise with this hand, you should try to keep the action relatively affordable as you'd prefer as many people in the pot as possible to get maximum value.
Straight Cards
How Play 7 Card Stud
e.g. (J-10) Q
7 Card Stud Strategy
Stick to high connected cards when chasing a straight. Although middle and low straights can sometimes be good at a showdown, you should only really be investing a lot of money into a pot if you start with any combination of aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens.