Seven Card Stud - Playing Pairs
The play of pairs of nines and lower gets trickier, as
it matters whether your pairs are wired or split. Therefore,
play of these pairs will be discussed in two separate sections.
Split Pairs
For the sake of simplicity, it can be said that medium split
pairs (sevens, eights, and nines) can generally be played
like premium pairs. Raise
on third street, but watch out if there are raises out there
from multiple players with door cards higher than your pair.
In fact, with a medium pocket pair on third street, it's
best to try to win the pot right then and there. Get everyone
out of the way, take the pot down, and move on. Playing
a split pair of sevens all the way to showdown can be an expensive practice.
With small split pairs (sixes and lower), you are playing
to improve your hand. If you see one of your pair cards
exposed in another player's hand, you should fold, as your
chances of improving have decreased dramatically. Your kicker
also becomes important here, as pairing an ace kicker will
give you a much better two pair than pairing an eight kicker.
Remember, you want to improve your hand in this situation;
split fives are seldom going to win a pot called to the
river in seven card stud.
The alternative to actually improving your hand when playing
with correct poker strategy is just representing an improved
hand. Maybe you have, for example, As-6d in the hole and
6s exposed, and the 5s comes on fourth street, you can now
represent strength in your hand. An opponent could become
afraid of a straight or a flush and may fold their pair
of tens. Even if you raise in this spot in get called, you
still have a chance to draw out a flush or straight, get
one of the remaining sixes to make a set,
or catch an ace to make two pair. Any of these scenarios
may likely give you a winning hand.
Wired Pairs
The major advantage that wired pairs have is that on those
occasions when you catch a set, it is concealed much better
than with a split pair. Generally, you will make three of
a kind about ten percent of the time when playing to the
river. It is also good when you have two cards to a flush
or straight on the opening round. This gives you a slightly
higher chance of improving on your low or medium pair.
When playing wired pairs, the same general rule applies
as above: consider throwing your hand away when facing a
multi-raise pot with multiple opponents who have up cards
higher than your pair. The other general rule is that in
a multi-way pot where some other player(s) is showing aggression,
consider folding if you have not improved by fifth street.
Remember, bets increase on fifth street and it will cost
you a considerable sum to keep playing your hand past this
point.
Wired and Split pairs have to be used correctly when playing Seven Card Poker strategy correctly in order to increase
your profitability.
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Card Stud Poker Strategy
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