Seven Card Stud - A round of Play

Ok, you have seen how the way Seven Card Stud is dealt and bet on is different than other poker games. Do you understand it? If you haven’t been playing it, then no you don’t. Let me take your hand (not the cards) and walk you through a round.

First we need to find a nice quite ring game table with about 4 players already seated. After watching a few hands, we can see that they are playing a fairly good game. We sit down. The table is $1/2 table with a .50 ante. That’s a good place to start with our $20 stack (the average at the table is around $35)

We ante up and get our first 3 cards ( Kc, 8h, Qh )with the Qh showing. We look at Player #1 and he has 2s up; Player #2 shows 9c; Player #3 shows 10d; and Player #4 is showing As. Player #1 brings in with .50 Player #2 folds while #3 raises to $1. These causes #4 to re raise making it $2.50 to us. I hate to drop the face cards so we gamble a little and call while Player #1 folds. To our disgust for calling the first bet, Player #3 re raises another $1 and the bet gets a cap form another $1 raise by Player #4. It is back to us to call $2 more. We not only fold but get up and leave the table. If Player #3 isn’t holding trip 10’s then he is either a complete idiot or a jerk.

At our new table we watch the play again before joining to make sure Player #3 doesn’t have a cousin sitting here. We ante up.

Here’s the deal Player #1 XX-3c Player #2 XX-7h

Player #3 XX-Ks Player #4 XX-9s

Us 4d,6s,5s

We have some options

Player #1 brings in and is called by #2, #3, and #4. We also call because we like the straight option we have going even with a 3 and a 7 out there.

Player #1 XX-3c,Ah Player #2 XX-7h,Kh

Player #3 XX-Ks,4c Player #4 XX-9s,As

Us 4d,6s,5s,5d

Now we have a pair of fives showing and still a chance at a straight draw. At this point we should bet our pair so $1 goes in. We have the highest hand showing so we initialize the bet for the round. We get called by #1, #3 and # 4. Player #2 folds out.

Player #1 XX-3c,Ah,7s Player #2 FOLDED

Player #3 XX-Ks,4c,Kd Player #4 XX-9s,As,Jh

Us 4d,6s,5s,5d,6d

We feel good with our 2 pair but those K’s are scary that #3 has. #3 leads off with a $2 bet. #4 folds out and mumbles something about how he shouldn’t have called the first bet to start with. We call but I got to tell you I feel nervous. #1 tosses in his cards and orders a drink.

Player #1 FOLDED Player #2 FOLDED

Player #3 XX-Ks,4c,Kd,Qd Player #4 FOLDED

Us 4d,6s,5s,5d,6d,9h

Well our straight chase is gone but we do have 2 pair. Player #3 checks and tries to stare a hole into us so we have him thinking maybe we have the straight with the 5,6, and 9 showing. We hesitate then check.(he has K’s if he pairs up anything to go with it we are dead at this point)

Player #1 FOLDED Player #1 FOLDED

Player #3 XX-Ks,4c,Kd,Qd-X Player #4 FOLDED

Us 4d,6s,5s,5d,6d,9h,6h

BAM we hit the boat with another 6. (believe it or not I see more full houses in Seven Card Stud than any other version of poker). Player #3 bets $2 without much thought.

We feel cocky but we calculate a minute, then give him a fake “I’m trying to read you look” we raise. Player#3 stops in his tracks. After a moment his eyes scream “you are not bluffing me out of this pot” so he re raises another $2. This is where greed kicks in and we lose control. Without any hesitation we cap it with another $2 and get called.

Are you counting our chips yet? We got a boat 6s full of 5s. We turn them over trying not to smile too much. Then BAM he rolls over the other two 5s. Now this may not seem like much but it tells us something. Every since we got our pair of 5s they have been dead and Player #3 knew it all along. He had an advantage over us since that round of play. Now we see his last card. Yea, you guessed it, Kc. Two boats and he out gunned us Kings full of 5s.

We walked through the betting in this hand and you can see that going crazy at the start is not done except by people in freerolls, fun money games , idiots , jerks (idiots very close cousin) , and people that do not know how to play Seven Card Stud. Take the hand slow because anything van happen. Even if you have a great hand, there are still three cards in each of the other player’s hands that you can’t see. This is poker, and what’s more Seven Card Stud. All seven cards count to make that five card hand. Bet your cards but don’t get greedy, don’t chase, and know when to get up from the table.