Hold’em has taken over the poker universe and is the most popular game in the world right now, but multi games like H.O.S.E. and H.O.R.S.E are quickly gaining steam at the casinos and online.  People are getting a little bored with Hold’em and are looking for other games to spice it up a little bit.  Well, in order to be successful in any of these multi games, you are going to have to get back to the roots of the game and become proficient at 7 card stud if you want to win the cash.

7 card stud was once a game that dominated poker rooms and households alike.  All of a sudden, The World Series of Poker started getting televised and everyone wanted to become a professional Texas Hold’em Poker player and become an instant millionaire.  Now, with the popularity of H.O.R.S.E, 7 card stud is making a mild come back and people are realizing this is a true poker playing game.

The fact of the matter is that 7 card stud makes up 60% of H.O.R.S.E.  Razz Poker is just a variation on stud and uses the same basic principles.  After you play regular stud, you finish up with Stud hi/low before starting all over again.  If you are a great stud player, you can clean up in this cash game or tournament.

Most Hold’em players get into a very bad habit of chasing down hands.  They are used to playing common cards and not actually working a hand and betting against other people’s board.  Stud Poker makes you not only keep track of your hand, but every card that is played.  Part of the art of stud is to know which cards for your draw and your opponents draw have been burned.  When their hand is not made on the board, you will make your play based on your hand and the perceived chances that they were able to draw out.

For instance, if you are holding a 34 in your hand and they are the filler cards for the straight that your opponent looks to be chasing down, you already know that he has only 6 live cards.  Maybe two 3’ and three 4’s were already folded by other players who have dropped out of the hand.  He is not paying attention to the other hands and is throwing good money in after a bad chase.

The other thing about stud is that the more experience you gain, the better you will be able to read players hands based on pre-flop action and how they follow it up on 4th and 5th street.  If someone is banging away pre-flop with a 5 showing, you are pretty assured that they are sitting on a set or a monster high pair under.  If they catch another 5 or catch AKQ on one of the streets, you know your mid pair is in a lot of trouble.  By paying attention to everything, you will find that you are much more successful than the average player at stud.

If you have never played stud, you may find all of this a little difficult in the beginning so do not play for high stakes.  Go play online at the quarter tables until you get the knack for this.  As you get better, you can move up in level until you are in the games that you usually play at.  When you really get comfortable, it is time to exploit weaker players and get in on the H.O.R.S.E tourneys and cash games.  Just remain patient during the Hold’em and Omaha stages and then drop the hammer when the stud games are being played.  Make the chasers pay and build your stack to get the coveted first prize money.

For many years, Stud was the game of choice in back rooms of restaurants, home games, bookies, and casinos alike. But since the boom of Texas Hold’em that occurred in the early 2000′s it seems Stud Poker has been lost in the shuffle a bit. Many great players, such as Phil Ivey, made their start in stud and still continue to play it today. While, it may not be as attractive to some tournament players, because you can not push all-in at any moment; the game of stud should be an attraction to anyone who loves mental warfare and strategic poker.

There are many different forms of stud, ranging from stud games that play against the dealer, such as 3 card Caribbean stud, to games that are played against other players, such as seven card stud hi/lo. In due time, we will look at the many forms of stud, studying strategy and philosophies amongst each one. However, today I will focus on the most common form of stud found in casinos and online, seven card Stud Hi.

seven card stud is an ante game, where each player is required to post an ante, which is normally 10% of the big limit, before receiving any cards. There are 7 “streets” in stud: a street refers to players receiving cards. After players post their antes each player receives 2 face down cards and one face up card. The player with the lowest card showing, 2 is the lowest possible, is then forces to “bring-in.” This is a bet of double the ante. This player may also raise the limit, which is the small limit, if they wish. All other players act from left to right, calling, folding, or raising. After betting is complete the players receive “4th street.” This is a face up card that refers to the 4th card they receive. The player with the highest showing card now must act first. They can bet the small limit or check. After the betting is complete, players receive another face up card, “5th street.” Players must now bet the big limit for the remaining streets. After betting, the last face up card is dealt as “6th street.” Once players bet again they receive “7th street,” which is a face down card. Players now have their last opportunity to bet.

Players will have 4 cards exposed and 3 concealed. It is also important to add that players can raise on any street, but they may only raise the limit for that street. After all betting is complete, players showdown their hands. The best 5 card hand wins. The rank of hands is the same as in other forms of poker, such as Texas Hold’em. Royal Flush is the top hand, ranging down all the way to a high card hand. These details of the game of 7 card stud will become very important when we discuss different forms of strategy.

We must ingrain these rules of the game into our minds, as our strategies are based solely around these unique characteristics. Join me tomorrow as we look into 7 card Stud Hi strategies that can help you start making money immediately.