Stud?

[TheSalche]

So after I've proven to myself that I've become a pretty good hold 'em player with the abilities to make some money on a fairly consistent basis, I've thought about entering the 7-card stud games.

I've tried a few and lost my money every time because everybody seems to catch boats and flushes. One time I was 4 to a flush after 4th street and didn't see another one of my suit. Another time I hit two pair on 5th street and lost to a guy who rivered his 5th flush card. Every other time I find myself folding because I'm holding what appears to me to be total garbage.

Any hints/ideas on how to play stud and where I can look in terms of books to play better? Or has anybody had any similar experiences?

[HalfSugar]

Your best bet is gonna be to read books because Stud has certain 'rules' that need to be learnt. Eg (and this is not a real one) if you are not holding at least a pair of Queens by 6th street, fold no matter what. I know that sounds dumb but I'm pretty sure that there are some pre-requisite rules to being even a crappy player

[badvb750]

The stud section in the first super systems is a great start. Then there is Seven card stud for advanced players by slansky. Also, the 2+2 forums have a forum just for stud, with some sound advice. I think stud is a lot harder, more fun to play and the pots are bigger. However, the suckouts can be amazing at times. Stud will improve your limit poker skills.

[flafishy]

Winning 7-Card Stud by Ashley Adams is a very good book.

I played stud in home games for years but never really learned how to play it. Just a couple of weeks ago I picked it up again to try to tackle it seriously, and I'm loving it. I'm making a nice profit at the local casinos and I'm doing pretty well with it online.

If you're a bonus chaser online, stud is much better than hold-em because it does clear the bonuses much faster.

Here's what I've learned so far:

You really have to be strict with your starting hands, and you have to fold a lot of those by fourth and fifth streets. You also have to keep your eye on and remember all the cards that have shown on the table.

I've been using a strict policy of only playing hands where the first three cards contain either a pair, a three-straight or a three-flush. If fourth street doesn't get you closer to that straight or flush and you see a few of your outs already on the table, fold it. Certainly don't hang around if you haven't gotten four to the straight or flush by fifth street. If you're on a flush or straight draw at sixth street, play the pot odds -- this is where it's especially valuable to know how many of your outs are dead.

If you're playing a pair, fold it on fourth or fifth street if you don't improve. You should dump it on fourth street if you see one of the two other cards of your value on the board somewhere and haven't caught a second pair.

On a full table, you'll almost always have to show down your hand to win. It's rare to take down a pot before the river even at a tight table. A pair isn't going to take down many pots. Two pairs will hold up surprisingly well even at loose tables.

I've been doing pretty well with it both online and b&m since I started tackling it a couple weeks ago. But I don't play many hands at all, which can get a little frustrating when you're throwing an ante into the pot on every hand.

Please take my advice, though, and don't get worked up like the hold-em cowboys do when someone nails a backdoor flush on you or a gutshot straight. It's going to happen a lot more in stud than it does in hold-em. And you're going to get blindsided now and then by a hidden boat or set.

If you start out by playing a super-tight, superconservative game while you're in the learning stages, you won't get involved in many pots but will take down a high percentage of the pots you do get involved in. And they can get pretty huge pretty fast.

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

Stud's an awesome game, especially if you can find the right one. I made a record $110 playing 1/2 stud in 9 hours on Royal Vegas yesterday. No way I'll ever repeat that, but it was nice while it lasted. Stud is nicer than Hold'em in that you'll find a good number of decent Hold'em players, but far fewer even semi-good Stud players.

[tame_deuces]

Stud's an awesome game, especially if you can find the right one. I made a record $110 playing 1/2 stud in 9 hours on Royal Vegas yesterday. No way I'll ever repeat that, but it was nice while it lasted. Stud is nicer than Hold'em in that you'll find a good number of decent Hold'em players, but far fewer even semi-good Stud players.

I second that.

I for instance, have never played a winning hand in 7-card stud except one against my mother.

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

Also, one tip... do NOT play stud on Party, especially at the $0.5/$1 limits, as the ante is insanely high as compared to the bets. The ante is only 10% of a SB on Royal Vegas, but 50% of a SB on Party.

[Jernej Zorec]

i had 2 stud sessions yesterday on Eurobet, 0.5/1 limit

session 1: 26 min played +22$
session 2: 50 min played +22.75$ and i lost last hand, so decided to go to bed :D

if u only use good starting hands, and fold if u dont improve with 2 cards
or 1 card in case u hold pair QQ or lower, u can be a winner.

I know 3 sessions arent enough to judge, but still, players at these limits are a bit wierd

[BigJii]

Also, one tip... do NOT play stud on Party, especially at the $0.5/$1 limits, as the ante is insanely high as compared to the bets. The ante is only 10% of a SB on Royal Vegas, but 50% of a SB on Party.

Big ante only means that you can and you have to play much looser. Your profits will be same if you can adjust your strategy.

[BigJii]

Also, one tip... do NOT play stud on Party, especially at the $0.5/$1 limits, as the ante is insanely high as compared to the bets. The ante is only 10% of a SB on Royal Vegas, but 50% of a SB on Party.

There is much better places if you want play super tight stud. Example there is no ante at all in Paradises 0, 50/1 game.

[BeerWench13]

I love stud. I haven't really played it a great deal in live play, but I have played quite a bit online. That's usually what I play while waiting for a SNG or MTT to start.
There have been times that my winnings in stud have kept my online bankroll alive when I'm on a cold streak in hold'em. It's a great game, but it does require a good deal of memory.
Play premium hands as were mentioned earlier and be aggressive when you get a monster. If you're used to limit hold'em the concept is the same, but you will get sucked out on a great deal more often.
Stud is fun for me in low limits somtimes because I get to let the "chaser" in me out. I'm not the only one who who plays this way so be prepared.

[snoogins47]

Also, one tip... do NOT play stud on Party, especially at the $0.5/$1 limits, as the ante is insanely high as compared to the bets. The ante is only 10% of a SB on Royal Vegas, but 50% of a SB on Party.

Big ante only means that you can and you have to play much looser. Your profits will be same if you can adjust your strategy.

Profits will not be "the same," but it's true that the game is still beatable. That game is definitely set up for action, and people are more than willing to give it. You will see mad suckouts, and you will not be able to punish the opponents who are doing the sucking as much

[Skribbles]

All of my recent profits have come from 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo tournys on Pokerstars. Easiest.Game.Ever. Players there just do not know what they are doing. My winning % on MTTs with Hi/Lo stud is 33%, all tournys with 150+ at $10 or $20. Its so simple.... just feast off the fish early that don't know what they're doing, and after that just play good and solid.

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

All of my recent profits have come from 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo tournys on Pokerstars. Easiest.Game.Ever. Players there just do not know what they are doing. My winning % on MTTs with Hi/Lo stud is 33%, all tournys with 150+ at $10 or $20. Its so simple.... just feast off the fish early that don't know what they're doing, and after that just play good and solid.

I'll definitely be looking into that. Thanks for the tip. :D

[groton]

being from CT we play a ton of stud here

and i still dont think im that good at stud.

just to much memory im a better Hi/LO player then just HI Thoe.