New Game for Me: 7-Stud

[Coryan]

I needed a little variety in my poker life. I started playing Limit Holdem last summer and moved over to NL Holdem this year. But I needed a change.

So I tried some 7-card stud. Well, so far it's been the boost I needed to get out of my 3 straight weeks of breakeven poker. I have played three cash sessions and four SnGs, and only one was a losing session. I doubled my money (well, just short on one) on all three cash sessions and had a first place and two thirds in my four SnGs.

I know...part of this is probably explained by running good...but I also enjoy the game. It is the perfect game for finding chasers who are willing to call anything with a gutshot draw...made some nice change off a few of them. I also enjoy the importance of tracking the up cards and what's been folded. However, I don't even try to play more than one stud table at a time. I did play a NL SnG and a stud game at the same time, but not sure this was any good for my SnG (placed sixth).

NOW A COUPLE QUESTIONS:

Can anyone recommend a good book on 7-card stud? Also, is stud always played as limit poker?

 

[t1riel]

As far as I know, 7 card stud is limit and never no limit. The best I've read on 7 card stud is actually a section in Super System 1 written by Chip Reese who was the best stud player at the time it was written. I recently have been indulging in 7 card stud myself and I love the game overall. It's agreat change of pace. Stud Hi/Lo is more challenging.

 

[Osmann]

When I first started playing poker online I was playing pot-limit 7-card stud and 5-card stud, so it does exist. But I don't think stud is very often played pot-limit or no-limit and none of the major sites offer it.

 

[Coryan]

Thanks for the info...

When I first started playing poker online I was playing pot-limit 7-card stud and 5-card stud, so it does exist. But I don't think stud is very often played pot-limit or no-limit and none of the major sites offer it.

Pot limit or spread limit could add some interesting challenges to 7-stud. It would be easier to stop some of the chasers who will see any pair with an ace to the river. I kinda like the idea of a spread-limit game.

However, my sense is that NL would make the game a bit of a mess. With 5 betting opportunities and the already complicated task of following the up/folded cards, I think NL might not work so well.

T1riel, maybe I should finally breakdown and buy SS. My wife will scream if she finds another poker book on the bathroom shelf...but I could tell her that this one will complete my library! (Until the next book is published...)

 

[dinosdynasty]

What site do you play the stud sitngo's on? pokerstars offers them but nobody registers to play them. I had a couple bad sessions the last couple of times when the chasers were catching but overall I turn my $2.00 on each table to $4-5 on each table most times that I have multi-tabled (only 2-tables at a time though, too hard to keep track of upcards)

 

[Coryan]

I was curious if anyone had multitabled 7-card stud games!

I play at party poker. On a weekday evening (Pacific Time) it takes about 2-3 minutes to fill a table....not long.

 

[wsorbust]

I started playing poker ...as many do with 7-card stud...at party...it's a nice change up from hold'em...

 

[Coryan]

IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!

Okay Wsorbust...is your avatar a picture of Hellmuth? And what the hell is he doing (whoever it is)?

Sorry, just need to know!

 

[wsorbust]

I believe that's a screen cap of a video of Hellmuth from the wsop last year? ...they did a whole piece on how he's doing yoga and trying to keep a zen lifestyle to balance himself out. I could be wrong...I'm not exactly sure. They showed him with his shirt off! loooool and everything ... I couldn't find a pic of that...so him slobbering all over himself will have to do for now!

....He's brushing his teeth.

 

[t1riel]

T1riel, maybe I should finally breakdown and buy SS. My wife will scream if she finds another poker book on the bathroom shelf...but I could tell her that this one will complete my library! (Until the next book is published...)

Super System 1 is a good buy. It has great sections written by the pros (at the time it was written anyway). Mike Caro writes an odds oriented 5 card draw section. David Sklansky writes a very complex but well written section on Spilt High/Low. A good buy if you want to improve on other games of poker except Hold em.

 

[Coryan]

Well, I may have to reconsider my love affair with 7-stud. I was on a hot streak last weekend that put me up almost $250. Then one session at 7-stud took care of most of that. I dropped $207 in a 3 hour session. The best hand I had in the first two hours was two pair of Jacks and Fours that lost to a FH. Well, I finished up a tad for the entire week, but that session was my worse ever.

Just goes to show that poker is a game of ups AND downs! Got to be able to handle those downs....but it sucks.