Intro to 7 Card Stud

7-Card Stud is an increasingly popular poker variation online. Unlike the more common Holdem and Omaha games this came does not feature community cards – each player is dealt their own 7 card hand. Adjusting to 7-Card Stud involves taking account of the cards you can see (and have seen folded) in others hands. The limit betting structure usually used in this game also mean that a good understanding of odds and outs is important.

This article will introduce some of the important aspects of 7-Card stud poker. We will start with the order of cards and the betting structure. Next starting hands will be introduced. Finally the significance of the cards you have seen to your betting decisions is covered.

There are no ‘blinds’ in 7-Card stud, instead there are 2 forced bets called the ‘ante’ and the ‘bring in’. Before any cards are dealt a fraction of a small bet (10c to 25c in a $1 / $2 game for example) known as the ante is taken from each player to build an initial pot. Each player is then dealt 3 cards, the first 2 are visible only to the individual player, while the 3rd – known as the ‘door card’ – is dealt face up to the table. The player with the lowest door card then starts the betting with a small forced bet known as the ‘bring in’.

Betting

Betting carries on around the table in a clockwise direction from the bring-in, with a maximum of 4 raises permitted on each betting round. As each of the next 3 cards is dealt betting starts with the player who shows the highest poker hand in their visible cards, the next cards are referred to as ‘streets’ in 7-Card Stud poker. After 5th street is dealt the betting limit is doubled for the remaining 3 betting rounds.
The final card ‘7th street’ is dealt face down to the table and followed by a last round of betting. At showdown players must make the best poker hand using 5 of their 7 cards.

Starting Hands

Starting hands in 7-Card stud depend on many factors including the door cards in opponent’s hands, the tendencies of the other players and the strength of your holding. A general rule is that you should raise with a pair higher than any showing cards, 3 cards to a flush and also lower pairs when your 3rd card is higher than the door card of your opponents. Speculative hands such as 3 cards to a straight can also be played if you have not seen too many of the cards you would require to make your hand already on board.

The strength of starting hands is affected by whether your pair is hidden. For example with Q-Q-8 you have a stronger hand if the 8 is showing to the table. If the queen is showing and you raise then opponents have a good idea of what you hold – and a 3rd queen may kill any action. With the 8 showing a queen on 4th or 5th street will look harmless to your opponents – while you have a monster holding.

Cards in opponent’s hands have a big effect on whether you play. For example if you have a pair of 8’s but see one or two 8’s on board you have a clear fold on 3rd street. Flush and straight cards also have an effect. If you started with 3 cards to a flush and see 3 other cards of your suit on 3rd street then your chances of completing the hand by the river have gone down by 30% - you now have 7 ‘outs’ instead of 10.

Conclusion

7-Card Stud is an excellent alternative to the popular online games. Make sure that you adjust correctly by drawing only to ‘live’ hands and ensuing that you start with solid values.