The intensity and the speed of the play is increased by the worthy proposition of stealing the Ante. In turn, this will result in the need for a shift in the playing strategy. This change in the play will make it difficult to the traditional Stud players for transition to the higher betting limits.

Level of Play

It is not a surprise that the big players are attracted to the big games. Without the knowledge in the process at the $100-$200 tables, the sharks will eat away a rookie alive. The point to be noted here is that the Stud being a skill game, overestimating will cost money to the player, which should be ever remembered.

Playing the Cards

During the play, the card memory and card analysis play a major part in strategy of any winning player. The player should be able to critically study the   situation of cards on the table and what it could mean. The player must take the observation on the upcards in each street and analyse it. He must judge himself whether the cards will help him or affect his chances and also in respect of the help and chances of receiving and other players.

Trips

The 7-Card Stud is said to have a best opening with three of a kind (a.k.a Trips, ‘a set’) and it is better if the rank is higher. After other players winning the round often without improvement in the player, he may be left in flexibility by others in betting and positioning in the subsequent streets.

It is recommended that the player take the trips slow and hide what he has got. Because, if any others at the table know about the trips held, others would almost certainly fold. It is also recommended that the player checks or calls until he is in the high streets (5-7th), and modestly bet, so that more money can be dragged by him into the pot.

A player may wish to keep the players in the game for a long period possible probably intending to defeat them. This being the ‘slow play’, is intended to maximize the pot.
When a player is holding set of Aces or Kings, said to be ‘scare cards’ or highest door card, he must in mind that others expect him to Raise. If you do not raise, it keeps them wondering. There is no need to bother with any cards other than scare cards.

At ‘the turn’, the fourth street, the player should keep other players in the game and continue himself  playing modestly. When the player hits fifty, it makes others to pay for staying. If they are in fifth only, it may make them intend to see the seventh street, called ‘river’, by which no steeper action of the player would scare them off. Here, the player should be careful wherein the others would be waiting for anything to threaten the potential win of the player.

High Pairs

After the Trips, the next best starting hand, a player could hope for is a High Pair with 10s or better than that. The paired cards faced down (in a hole) are found to be even better. The open cards are found to be less worth due to its exposition for others to see or even guess on what the player has. This makes a solid position to open betting or Raising. It may even lead to re-Raise if the player is holding highest door, J or better.

The strong betting in third and fourth streets need not make the player scared since he wants to eliminate maximum players, but doing so will be cheap. The player should improve on his hand so that others cannot pull cards for free.

If the table has better door cards, say the holed Queens is with the player and a King and Ace are on the table, the player would be probably wise if he leaves it at a single Raise. However, if there is two Aces on the table looking like a broken threat, the player need not hesitate.

The player will be in an ideal situation when his door card being 10 or Jack reasonable and High Pair is buried. Raise of the player looks as though he is moving on Paired 10s, as an example, and it will be responded by other players accordingly. The player will be in an excellent position and others are pulled deeper in the later streets.

By fifth, the remaining hands become probably draw hands, without strong position (non-paired). At that time, the player can Raise so that others are knocked out.

In the sixth and seventh, the player may Raise if he has improved and others have not beaten him by the open cards. Otherwise, the player should go for folding, or he has to Check along for no Raises to match. He should also ensure that there is nothing on the table to threaten.

Flush Draws

Three cards to Flush is a ‘drawing’ hand. The player needs cards for worthwhile making. It is worth to Raise, but, the door card with the player will largely determine largely how much money can be put behind by him without giving himself away.

If the door card of the player is Faces or Aces (A, K, Q, J), then, it looks like the player is backing a high Pair. When the door card leads, a Raise and re-Raise will pass without any suspicion.

The way of playing the hand by the player, will be affected by the ‘head’ cards, highest of the cards held. If we assume that the player does not have High door as said, it may mean that the player wants J or better in the Flush so that he can justify the betting. The player is drawing both the Flush and High Pair in this way, to balance the expense.

The player needs to get to fourth street very cheaply if he has got a weak door or no High cards, because he is facing 5 to 1 odds against completing his hand. The player may think of mucking if the cards needed by him are ‘dead’.

If the player becomes fourth for the Flush by Fourth street, it means that he is facing 1.5 to 1 against completing. It is a good odd at this point and Raising is worth. The player may think of mucking if two or more cards needed by him are ‘dead’ and may think of an out if he has no possibilities for High Pair cards.

Fifth street: By this point, the player must have that fourth to the Flush, to justify further betting. He may consider raising, if he gets fourth to Flush and especially if there is High Pair out. The odds here make it reasonable for the player to complete (2 to 1 against).

The odds will swing against the player by the sixth at 4 to 1to complete. The player can only justify for his staying in if it is cheap and can still wait a chance for out. Otherwise, he may muck.

Straight Draws

We have come again to talk on a draw hand. It is quite tougher to complete this game than the 3-Card Flush. The player has got a chance at a High Pair as an out if he has two or three High Cards. If it is an Outside Straight, the hand can sustain a Raise or a re-Raise. The Outside Straight means that it can be completed from either end. But the player should not get fooled by A-K-Q, because it is an Inside Straight, which means open at one end. It is better to play this for its Pairing possibilities.

It is important to study the cards of other players with double mind throughout the round, so as to find anything which may kill the player’s Straight. The player’s card can seriously detract from completion chances, if any card used by him is dead.

Suppose, at the fourth street, the player wants consecutive card in his Straight. If he does not get it, he may Fold, unless all his cards can beat the up cards. Still, if the player has an Outside Straight, he is facing 1.3 to 1 odds against completing. Continuing to play here is worth. If drawing a fourth to the Straight by the player leaves him with an Inside Straight, he may think of folding unless two highest up cards are held by him.

The player is facing 2 to 1 odds against completing at fifth street. He can Check and Call to continue to the sixty if he is having two of the highest up cards. Otherwise he may Fold. It will tempt to chase Four to Straight. But, it is not a good bet as it may appear.

When the player is facing 5 to 1 odds by sixth street, it cannot justify to continue unless all necessary cards are still ‘live’. It will be worth a Raise if the open cards of the player can still lead. He may think of mucking if he is facing a double Raise.