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Starting Hands
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| Three of a kind |
| Three cards to a straight flush |
| Three cards to a flush |
| Pair of aces or kings |
| Unseen pair of queens or jacks |
| Three high cards to a straight |
Any unseen pair
Preferably with a high card kicker |
| Any three cards in sequence |
Three high cards
Two toward a straight or flush |
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Seven Card Stud
Starting Hands: Naturally, when you have to open the betting, you
must bet something, but what if you have a very good hand already. On extra
strong hands (three of a kind for example), don't scare others out by
betting aggressively.
Your most important decision begins with those first three cards(!) so
you must know the rudimentary starting hands. They are:
If you start with three of a kind, you have an excellent chance of
winning the pot at the end of seven cards. If you've analyzed the other
players in the game (a must) and think they are willing to gamble with you,
then by all means, bet aggressively (don't show off). If you have too many
rocks in the game (players who, like you, play only the best starting
hands), bet conservatively to keep them in the pot for a round or two.
Three cards to a straight flush offers several options and should be
played initially the same as three of a kind. What you're hoping for, of
course, is a straight flush or even a royal, a flush, or at the very least,
a straight. You might also get other decent hands, but if you do, make
certain you know where you stand with them. If you have Ace-king-queen, for
example, and you've seen a king and two Aces in other hands, you are in a
weak position. Play carefully!
A pair of aaces or kings in your first three cards are very strong --
especially if they're hidden. (Note: No matter what kind of pair you have,
if you don't improve by the fifth card, you should seriously consider
folding, especially if there's any betting and raising going on.) You should
probably bet these cards aggressively, wagering the maximum or raising the
maximum. The goal is to discourage drawing hands from continuing against
you. If you bet meekly, somebody who has a border line hand gets a cheap, or
even free card that could smother your fire.
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Possible Hands
(52-Card Deck)
|
|
Straight flush
|
10
|
|
Four-of-a-kind
|
13
|
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Full house
|
156
|
|
Flush
|
1277
|
|
Straight
|
10
|
|
Three-of-a-kind
|
13
|
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Two pair
|
75
|
|
One pair
|
12
|
|
No pair
|
1277
|
|
The general rule of thumb for cards of lesser value than a high pair is
to be cautious. Watch the betting; watch the cards. If you see your "outs"
dwindling because somebody else is getting the cards you need, be prepared
to get out of the hand. If you started with a borderline hand and managed to
make it stronger by the fifth card, get aggressive. At this point, you want
to force out other borderline hands that are waiting to see one more card.
About half the people who play poker will tell you that you must
understand odds and probabilities. While it's very helpful to get a grip on
this concept, you can play the game of poker even if you don't have
Einstein's mathematical brain. You will, however, be shaving a few dollars
off your bottom line.
If you can't deal with pot odds, card odds, or implied odds, make sure
you can keep track of the cards that are out. At least you won't be getting
the worst of it. (For the mathematically brain dead, there's a very good
book that will give you lessons in figuring odds and probabilities in
general and in particular as they relate to poker. It's called,
coincidentally, "Poker Expertise Through Probability" by Robert Riley.)
