7-Card Stud Poker Tips: Third Street

7 Card Stud, Beginner Strategies
September 10 2008

The most important decision you will make in a hand of 7-Card Stud is on Third Street. The old saying goes: "You can’t lose what you don’t put in the middle," and this is an extremely important part of winning at 7-Card Stud. With the large number of betting rounds you can’t afford to make too many mistakes at 7-Card Stud or your chip stack will quickly fade away.

Here are four things to consider on Third Street before playing or folding your hand:

1. What cards are showing? You must look at your opponents’ up cards in two ways. First, how do they compare to your cards? And second, how many of the cards that could help your hand are already gone? If your opponents are already ahead of you by a large margin, folding is usually your best option. If you’ve got a pair of fives and both fives are showing elsewhere, you’re giving your money away by not folding.

2. How many people are still in? The more players still in the pot, the better the chances that someone will have a strong hand. Always assess the strength and potential of your hand against the number of players still in the action against you.

3. Are your opponents tight or loose players? If you’ve got a draw it may not be worth chasing against a tight player who has just bet or raised. However, that draw may be a smart play against a loose player whom you could bleed dry by hitting it.

4. What has happened in the hand so far? Has another player raised? Are there numerous callers, or has everyone folded to you? Always assess your opponents’ actions and what they might mean before making your move.

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