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July 19th, 2008
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Seven card stud is one of the more traditional variations of poker, and is also one of the more popular ones because of its 7 card excitement. There can be some monster pots in this great game due to the number of cards that each player is dealt. Also, the odds change drastically in 7 card stud, since each player is dealt 7 cards, instead of in holdem where there are 5 community cards and each player receives two face down. This article will walk you through the betting structure of seven card stud, and some of the possible examples of what could happen in a game.


To understand the best ways to bet in 7 card stud, you first must know how many betting rounds there are, and how many players you are playing against. If you go to the last of the 7 cards, you will have the chance to bet five times. If you are playing against a small number of players, you have the opportunity to bet with mediocre hands, since the odds of winning have increased. However, if you are playing with a full table of 7 players make sure to watch what hands you are betting, since there will almost always be one player who has a good hand.


Each player is dealt 2 face down cards, and one face up card, and then is given the chance to bet. In my opinion, this round of betting, and the last round of betting, is the most important part in the game. You have to make your decision now if you want to slow play, bluff, play your hand aggressively, loosely, or fold. If you can make an accurate choice now, you will be on your way to playing at the top of your game. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, such as if your opponent is dealt 3 aces on 4th, 5th, and 6th street, and you decided to bluff in this opening round. Unless you had a monster, and I mean MONSTER, you would definitely want to abort your initial plan of bluffing and make the decision to fold.

What, if any amount, you decided to bet should not only depend on your cards, but what your opponents face up cards are and what position you are in. It's hard to give the exact way to play the certain cards since there are so many combinations, and situations are always different. But, it is in my opinion that to be able to play 7 card stud well, you have to be able to play loose. What I mean by this, is you have to see the potential in your three starting cards, since you have the possibility of seeing 4 more cards. Hands can change drastically when you have 4 more cards to come, and it is important to realize this.


After the first betting round is done, you will receive one card face up for 4th, 5th, and 6th street, and there will be a round of betting after each one. These rounds are where you should be supporting your initial bet, and feeling out your opponents to see what they have. If you decided to slow play in the first round of betting, then you should try a check raise on 4th and 5th street. If your opponents just check, then you should put them on a draw, unless their face up cards say otherwise. By the 6th round of betting you should have a good idea of your hand strength, and your opponents since 4 of their 6 cards are facing up. This bet is where you set them up for your final bet in the last round. Some players like to mix there betting style up on this round, and instead of trying a check-raise like the example above, they will bet straight out if the cards permit them to do so.


Once the 7th card has been dealt face down, you need to decide right away if this helped your hand strength, and if any of your opponents could have been on a draw. This is the final round of betting, and if you have been bluffing the whole time and you are heads up, your probably need to make a big bet, depending on what type of player your opponent is. (More in depth article on seven card stud bluffing soon to come)


There obviously won't be anymore cards after this one, so you need to choose whether you think you have the best hand and should bet, or if you have the worse hand and need to try and get your opponent(s) into folding. You also have the opportunity of just checking if you are unsure of your hand strength, since this gives you the chance to see what your opponent(s) are/is going to do. Sometimes, if you are last to act, and there are no bets ahead of you, you can put a big bet in and try to steal the pot. Be careful about this; however, since there is always the chance of a check-raise from your opponent.


Although I went over some possible tactics for betting in seven card stud, there is still a world of information to be taught on betting methods. The main goal in this article was to give you an idea of what the possible ways of betting were in 7 card stud, and what some of the basic methods were. Now that you have a basic understanding of the betting structure, it will be easier for you learn about the detailed strategies when those articles come out. Look for some new betting content that should be coming out soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, and as always, good luck.