Seven Card Stud Strategy
When playing Seven Card Stud, you will get dealt 7 cards in which 4 of them are face-up. The ability to see 4 of your opponents cards becomes an important part of the game strategy.
When the cards are dealt your eyes and your memory need to start working, you will look on the door-card of each player.
Let's say that all your first three cards are spades.
You will need to look for other spades in your opponents hands, that will help you to calculate the odds of making your flush.
Same thing with other hands as well, take this as an example:
You have been dealt [6♦], [6♣], Queen♥.
See if another player have a Queen or 6.
If there are a lot of similar cards on the table, your odds of winning are decreased, like three 6's or two pairs.
Remembering the cards will become important in the later stage of the hand.
Let's go back to the spades hand, you look on your opponents face-up cards and you saw a lot of clubs.
The players number in the hand narrows to two players, you and another player.
The other player have 3 clubs in his 4 face-up cards, because at the beginning of the hand you saw a lot of clubs that are already on the table, meaning there is less probability of getting a club.
You need to remember that other can see your cards as well, use it for your advantage!
If the other players see that your 4 cards are the same suit you can bet, and let them think you do have
the flush, if they are not very loose players and they cannot beat flush they will fold, remember, if you bluff a lot players will call your bets more often.
Seven Card Stud Starting Hand Strategy:
Three-of-a-Kind:
The best possible starting hand in Seven Card Stud is three-of-a-kind - the higher the better, for example: 2♠2♣2♥ up to A♠A♣A♥. Play those kinds of hands aggressively, bet out as much as you can. Other players may think you have a pair or something, but it's unlikely for them to think you have three-of-a-kind, and most of them will call, you also don't want too many players in this hand so you need to bet and raises to narrow to number of players in that hand. also don't get too crazy in later street on that hand, look on your opponents face-up cards if you see flush and straight draws and you didn't made 4-of-a-kind or full-house by now, then you'll need to consider if you want to call this hand until the end or you want to fold .
Big Pair: (Ace – 10)
Play these aggressively. Watching the other players cards is the almost necessary in this scenario. You need to check if you have live cards that will make your hand better also check that no one else have higher pair then you in later street in the hand .
Small Pair: (9 – 2)
In order to play your hand with a low pair, you will also need to have a strong kicker. (the 3rd card) What do I mean by strong kicker? If you have [3♥] [3♠] K♠ and the other players don't have any cards higher than a King you can play, but you get in trouble.
You need to limp-in at that hand, don't bet or raise, just flat call, if you catch your 3rd card, that great, if didn't catch that and you didn't catch 2 pair as well then jusr check, if someone bet fold .
Three Card Flush:
You can play those hands, don't raise, unless all the cards are very high as well,
If you see that few cards from your suit are already dead (in other player's hands)
You need to fold your hand it's very unlikely to make a flush that way, the more cards that you see from other suites better for you.
Three Card Straight:
Limp in for cheap, see the next card. If you catch 4th card for straight draw or big pair, that's great if not, get out at this point.
High Over cards: example - A♠ K♣ Q♥
If you have that kind of hand you can limp for cheap. If someone bets and players are calling his bet fold, if you do play but you didn't made your pair in the next card, fold don't chase too much with those kind of hands.