Poker Tutorial: A Complete Guide to Seven Card Stud Strategy
Seven Card Stud Poker: What You Need to Know
- Basics of Seven Card Stud: Learn the core rules, gameplay, and structure of Seven Card Stud, one of the most classic forms of poker.
- Strategic Approach: Understand key strategies in Seven Card Stud, from careful observation of open cards to appropriately managing the betting rounds.
- Memorizing Cards: Grasp the significance of remembering folded cards to evaluate your hand strength and predict the opponent’s moves.
- Importance of Position: Appreciate the strategic importance of your position at the table and how it influences your betting decisions and outcomes.
- Spotting Bluffs: Master the skill of detecting and executing bluffs, an integral part of the complex gameplay in Seven Card Stud.
While Texas Hold’em has become the most popular poker variant, that wasn’t always the case. Seven card stud was a popular version of the game for decades and was popular in the Old West with players like Wild Bill Hickok (he of Dead Man’s Hand fame), Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday, and other frontier gamblers no doubt playing plenty of stud poker (although probably of the five card variety).
The game can feature plenty of twists and turns with so many cards available to players and also the ability to see a certain number of opponents’ cards.
The game remains popular in live and online casinos, and can regularly be found in mixed game formats as well as in major festivals like the Word Series of Poker each summer in Las Vegas.
Keep reading to learn more about how to play this traditional poker game and some of the strategies involved in the game.
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
How to Play Seven Card Stud
Seven card stud derived from an earlier game that became popular during the Civil War, five card stud. As noted in the name, players could be dealt up to five cards and ante before the action starts.
The action starts with one card dealt face down and another face up. That is followed by a round of betting and a third card dealt face up with another round of betting. That’s followed by a fourth and fifth cards dealt and additional rounds of betting.
The original game had four cards face up, but that has been altered in other formats of the game. But this version of stud poker eventually brought about the seven card stud version as players sought more betting, more action, more strategic decisions, and higher hands. Stud poker is generally played using fixed-limit style betting.
The action now sees all players ante before the hand begins and then dealt two cards face down and one card face up. That is followed by fourth, fifth, and sixth cards dealt face up with a round of betting between each card dealt.
A seventh card is then dealt face down followed by the final round of betting.
Seven Card Stud Poker: Example Hand
Here’s a quick look at how a hand might play out in a casino poker room setting.
- Players ante.
- Each player is dealt two cards face down and one card face up.
- The player with the lowest hand must make a force bet called a “bring-in,” a small bet that is often half of the minimum bet.
- Other players can complete to a full bet and raise or fold as in a traditional poker game.
- A fourth card is dealt face up and players go through another betting round.
- A fifth card is dealt face up and players go through another betting round.
- A sixth card is dealt face up and players go through another betting round.
- A seventh card is dealt face down and there is one final round of betting.
- Any players remaining reveal their cards to see who wins the pot. Players make their highest hand using the best five of their seven cards.
There may be some slight variations as to how the game is played, particularly in home game settings. Some players don’t use the bring-in format and simply have the highest hand so far betting first in each round.
Other formats may even use blinds as seen in Texas Hold’em. There are also other popular variants (more on those below).
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Seven Card Stud Strategy
When it comes to strategy, a sharp memory of cards already played goes a long way. It’s important to recognize the cards on the table, know what cards have already been folded, and how all these affect your chances of drawing solid hands.
David Bach is a poker coach and three-time WSOP bracelet winner. Two of those came in HORSE, a nixed-game format that features the game, and one came in dealer’s choice, which also sees seven card stud as part of the mix.
He notes that paying attention to the table is critical. Unlike Hold’em, players can have more cards to remember and analyze.
“The upcards are super important,” Bach says. “Every hand is different because of the up-cards, and I think that’s what makes it a beautiful game. If your cards are dead, your hand’s not nearly as good. If your cards are live, it’s much better. If you can pay attention to what your opponents are likely to have, that’s important also.
“In hold’em you remember things that your opponent did in previous hands. But in stud you have to remember and adjust to the boards also, which is an extra factor.”
Players must be able to adapt and be aggressive, according to Bach, and the game can feature gambling than hold’em may be accustomed to.
“It’s also a really, really good game for the recreational player who likes to gamble because in stud you’re really not that far behind,” he says. “If someone has aces and you have kings, you’re not 20 percent like you are in Hold’em, you’re like 35 or 40 percent.
So the average recreational player’s going to win more often and enjoy the game. It’s a better game for an amateur than no limit Hold’em, and that’s why it was more popular before television. It’s just not that great on television.”
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Top Seven Card Stud Starting Hands
When it comes to starting hands, here are the main types that players can look for:
- Three of a Kind – This is known as being “rolled up” and it’s rare to be dealt a hand like this. Players have shot at a big pot with this hand and getting quads or a full house is possible. Those players in early position may not want to raise if they believe other players may fold. This is an extremely strong hand and has a chance to win a big pot.
- Big Pairs – Find pocket aces or split aces (one up and one down) is a great place to start and being aggressive may be the best option unless you suspect an opponent also has a larger pair. But aces, kings, queens, and other high pairs can be a great way to get the action going.
- Smaller Pairs – Players may have to use more intuition and reads on opponents when deciding how to play these hands. Look at other players’ hands to see if more of your cards are still possibly available to hit three of a kind or that may possibly beat other pairs. Playing a small pair when another of those cards is already revealed or it appears another player has more solid holdings may not be the best plan.
- Drawing Hands– Three cards to a flush or straight offer some real possibilities and can be worth playing, especially if none of that suit or cards needed to make the straight are visible on the table. These hands have major potential if the right cards come your way.
Popular Seven Card Stud Variants
As seven stud became more popular, players began looking for alternatives to keep the game interesting and create some more strategy considerations.
Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo
Seven card stud hi-lo sees the pot split between players with the highest and lowest hands. You can also win the entire pot – known as “scooping” – when you have both the high and low hands. How is this accomplished?
- Players can use any five cards for their best high hand.
- They can also use any five cards to make their best low hand.
In this case, the lowest hand possible is A-2-3-4-5 (straights and flushes don’t matter when it comes to the low hand). It’s also important to note that the hi-lo version is usually played in an “8 or better format,” meaning that the highest card in your low hand can only be an 8, otherwise it doesn’t qualify.
For example, A-2-3-5-8 would qualify as a low hand while A-3-4-6-9 would not. This format is seen in Omaha hi-lo as well.
Hi-lo strategy often means looking for hands that have a chance to scoop the entire pot. Low starting hands can be extremely powerful at times.
If you make the low hand and still have players in the action that appear to be going high, you will be “freerolling” for half the pot, meaning you’ve locked up that share and can build the pot with early bets and raises.
Opponents with weak hands may even fold, handing you the entire pot. If they don’t you still may hit a high hand and have the best high and low hands at showdown. Those who have a high hand really have to pay attention to opponents and avoid a minefield if an opponent looks likely to take the entire pot.
Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
Razz
This is another version of seven card stud that has players hoping to make the lowest hand possible. In razz, the nuts (the best hand possible) is A-2-3-4-5 and straights and flushes are irrelevant.
So in this game, a hand like A-2-4-6-7 would beat a hand like A-2-4-8-9. If both players have the same highest card, such A-2-3-4-6 and A-2-3-5-6, the next highest card is taken into account. In this case, 4-6 is lower so the A-2-3-4-6 would win the hand.
Pairs don’t help your hand in Razz and you’re simply hoping to make the lowest hand possible. That’s what can frustrate some players, but the game has become more popular and can be found in many mixed games.
The World Series of Poker also features a couple razz events each summer, including the $10,000 championship. 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth captured a $2,500 Razz title in 2012 for $182,793.
When it comes to strategy, A-2-3 is the best starting hand and players should hope to avoid making pairs. Paying attention to other players’ upcards also helps in gauging the strength of your own hand. Players should avoid calling too much when their hand is weak and seeing face cards added to your holdings can really cripple a hand.
Common Mistakes in Seven Card Stud
There’s a lot to pay attention to when paying seven card stud. That not only includes your own cards but getting an idea of what others might have as well as remembering what cards may have already been folded. Here’s a quick look at some common mistakes players make.
- Playing too many hands – This can apply to most forms of poker, but a drawing game with so many cards like seven stud often gives players the impression that they will eventually catch a winning hand. This is a misnomer and is a recipe for lots of second and third-place hands. Instead look for quality starting hands to play and see better results.
- Not being aware of other players’ cards – Seven stud allows players to see several of their opponents’ cards and paying attention can help your own play. Look at opponents’ upcards and deduce what possible hands they might be holding or drawing to. Also look for what cards you need are in other players’ hands. This might help determine if it’s worth calling or folding.
- Not knowing what cards have already been played – Make note of cards and suits as they are dealt so that you can gauge the strength of your own hand. This can help determine the chances of drawing a winning hand.
Seven card stud is a classic game that has its roots in the U.S. Civil War and Old West. There can be plenty of action and strategy in determining how your own cards stack up against opponents.
Whether in a cash game or in a poker tournament, seven stud can be a lot of fun and a great poker option to add to that next home game with friends.
Hopefully a few of those hands are rolled up!
Title Image Credit: VITALII BORKOVSKYI/Shutterstock
