Seven Card Stud Tips Index:

• Seven Card Stud Tips
• Starting Hands
• Seven Card Stud Odds
• Online Poker and Seven Card Stud
• Seven Card Stud Hi-Low (8 or better)
• Advanced Seven Card Stud Strategy

Seven Card Stud Tips

The Ante - PartyPoker's game begins with each player placing an "ante" in the pot. The ante is a small sum that serves a purpose similar to the blinds in hold'em: it gives the players something to "fight over," or contest, once the hand begins. Without the ante, there would be very little reason to enter the hand without the best possible cards.After the antes are in the pot, the dealer deals three cards to each player. The first two are dealt face down, and the third is face up, for everyone to see.

Best to fold cards when - In Seven Card Stud, fifth street is a decision time, as the betting limit increases, this is the time to fold a poor hand, especially against aggressive betting. If you stay in be sure you can play your hand out to the end.

If an opponents exposed cards beat your whole hand, it is best to fold. If you are trying to make a straight, look to see if other players are showing the cards you need, and reconsider your bet.

Seven Card Stud is a HIGH card game. More winning hands are decided by the highest pair of two pair or just the highest pair, than by straights, flushes and other big hands. So if you start with a straight or flush draw, it should have at least two high cards or at least one card that is higher than anything up on the board. These draw hands and low pair starting hands need to improve or turn a high pair quickly to justify continued play. Any time your high hand is beaten on the board, fold, unless you think you still have the best draw hand. Fast play early high hands ( that could win without improvement) to thin out the competition. Slow play draw hands to keep other players in to increase the pot odds in case you hit.

Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent's upcards.

In general: try to find reasons to fold both your starting hands and those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card in the denomination that you need and for two or three dead cards in the suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition developing for the winning hand. When you can't find reasons to fold, you can then proceed aggressively..

Starting Hands - Seven Card Stud

Starting Hands - Seven Card Stud:

Any Three of a Kind Pair of Aces
Pair of Kings
Pair of Queens
Pair of Jacks
Pair of Tens
Any Medium Pair
Any Low Pair
Three Flush
Three Straight

Seven Card Stud Odds

Approximate Hands per 100,000 Deals:
The higher the number, the more often these particular types of hands will show up at a table, so that you have an idea of what kind of combinations you are striving to beat. The odds to change depending on how many players are at a table, and what type of stud game is being played

Online poker

The advantage of playing online is that if you are quick you can write down what cards other players have before they fold, so helping you analyse what possible hands are still available. But you must be quick, as slow play will empty your table of players.

This is a game of patience, so be prepared to wait until you get good hands before betting heavy.

There are five rounds of betting in Seven Card Stud game as opposed to four in Texas Hold'em and Omaha, and the level of play can hit the higher limit quicker.

There are 8 players in Seven Card Stud tables. In the unlikely event that all 8 players are still in the hand at the river, or seven or more players have played enough streets, then there would not be enough cards left in a standard 52 card deck for each player to receive a river card. In this situation, the river card is dealt face up in the middle of the table and is used as a community card.

Strategy & Tips Seven Card Stud Hi - Low

Your starting hands - The first four cards are a major key to winningat Seven Card Stud games. If your starting hands develop according to plan, you can be a strong favorite to scoop the pot. If they don't, you get out early and escape the expensive second best experience. The three card starting hands recommended above are those with the best chance of producing a dominant four card hand. Good four card hands that are carefully played don't always win but they win a lot more than the others. 

Beware of the paired door card - If an opponent is playing a pair in his starting hand, and pairs his door card (first upcard), the odds are two out of three that the door card is part of his pair. A paired door card presents a strong possibility that the holder has a dangerous set of trips.

High Pairs increase in value over low draw hands when it is down to one or two competitors.  When a high hand is heads up against a low draw, the high hand usually has the edge.

Watch the board closely for key cards that can seriously diminish your chances of making a good hand. Don't play marginal starting hands like pairs, if both your pair cards and side card are completely "live" (none of your cards showing on the board). Also play low straights cautiously if your key cards are not live.

Keep track of the fives both on the board and folded. This is a key card in all low straights.

Try to find reasons to fold both your starting hands and those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card or two in the denomination that you need and for three or more dead cards in the suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition developing for the high and low prizes that you are after. When you can't find reasons to fold, you can then proceed more confidently.

Study your opponents, especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they have any "tells" (give away mannerisms) that disclose information about their hands etc.

Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are really strong and need the action.
Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent's upcards.

Be ready to adjust to game conditions. For example, if you are in a game with a group of loose or novice players that hardly ever raise the opening bet and tend to check along until they get a decent hand, you might consider an unraised call with such hands as two suited wheel cards with an offsuit king kicker and a perfect board. Also, early steals sometimes work well when the game tightens up and you have not much more than than the scariest early board and raise the bet.