Way before Omaha and Texas Hold ‘em became the most popular poker games played, 7 Card Stud was the name of the game. It was the biggest game in Vegas in fact, until Doyle and his friends decided to shake things up out there and storm the dessert with Hold ‘em.

Playing this game as a beginner means there are going to be some typical mistakes which will be made. Learning to avoid these mistakes before you make them, or recognize them once you have, puts you one step ahead of the pack. 7 Card Stud Poker is still popularly played as a game in casinos, in online casinos and is often one of the many game played as part of a tournament. So it is necessary to know how to play the game with some skill.

Remember whenever we make mistakes we are supposed to learn from them. Failure is not one cataclysmic event it is when you make the same mistakes over, and over and over again.

It is a very valuable skill to be selective about your starting hands when you play 7 Card Stud. Playing too many starting hands can compound mistakes in later betting rounds. All experts agree that the fewer hands you play, or if you like, the more selective you are about starting hands, the better your game will be.

Starting out with nothing and continuing to play generally leads you to a hand you should never have had anything to do with in any case, so fold ‘em if they are not worthwhile. Every chip you put in the pile is costing you money, and in the long term this can prove to be costly.

Its is deciding which hands to play which is the most difficult decision but there are a number of factors which may be taken into account to guide you:

1.Is the table tight or loose?
2.Which cards are out?
3.How many other players have paid into the pot when your turn comes?
4.How many players at the table?
5.Has there been a raise and from what position and player?
6.What your position in relation to the raiser is?

Points two and three (I) are the most important considerations. This is what will help you make the best decision to fold. If all the cards out are small this may not justify either a raise or a call so it is simply best to throw away the cards on third street – even if you hold a J-J-7. However this hand can be played in a short handed ante-steal position.

Your starting hand has to be live, and if this is the case even weak pairs, straights and flushes can be strong. Your hand is live if Jacks and sevens are in, but if these cards are out, your hand is generally as dead as a doornail. Good starting hands includes three of a kind, big pairs – in particular when a pair is hidden, big suited connectors, big suited semi connectors, medium pairs and even medium suited connectors.