It’s hard for players to think about long term situations in poker when they’ve just been delivered a horrible bad beat.  After all, having a set of queens cracked by some moron who just nailed a runner-runner straight is enough to make a person want to quit poker for weeks – especially if a large pot was involved!  But any time this kind of situation arises, you’ve got to look at the big picture.

Sure you may just have lost a lot of money in a hand which assuredly would’ve been yours if the other player had any sense at all.  But if you make the correct plays over and over again then you are the one who is going to come out a winner in the long run.  Likewise, the donkey who is always looking for the runner-runner straight or flush will no doubt be a money machine for other players to take advantage of over the course of their career (if it even comes to a career).

Unfortunately, you have to tough it out during the times when you make the correct play and don’t reap the benefits.  Poker is a game which does involve a fair amount of luck so bad players can make money off of bad plays sometimes.  On the other hand, poker also has plenty of skill and critical thinking involved which means the best players will come out winners over the long term.

The toughest part of poker may be hanging in there during those times when you’re making smart plays yet losing money.  And if you are able to stick with the game during these tough points and keep learning then you will be a winning player over the long haul.  Likewise you can take solace in the fact that the donkeys who have no clue and refuse to study the game will wind up big-time losers in the end.

With the overpopulation of Texas Hold’em, many people are turning to other poker variations in order to make their money.  Seven Card Stud is definitely one poker variation which has seen more players as a result of this movement.  And the first thing that these new players need to grasp with Stud is just how important third street is.

That’s because third street is when you need to decide if and how you’re going to play a hand.  Unfortunately, this is more complicated than it sounds since so many factors go into making this decision.  And some of the hands you play will be better suited for small pots with two or three players while others work best in bigger pots with several players.

But no matter what hand you play, keep in mind that Seven Card Stud is like any poker game in that you don’t want to play too many hands.  So when you’re deciding which hands you want to play, the two most important factors will be how many players are in the hand and what cards are out.  A good example of how to do this can be seen by looking at a sample hand.

For instance, if you have two queens and the other two queens in the deck are gone then you should fold.  This reigns true even if you are sure you’ve got the best pair because, after all of the cards are dealt, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have the top hand.  On the other hand, if both kings were still live and you’re in a big, multi-way pot then you should definitely play this hand.

Other important factors to look at when figuring out whether or not to play a hand on third street include what your position is, if the pot has been raised, who raised the pot and where are they sitting, and is the table loose or tight.  But just remember to pay special attention to the cards that are out and how many players are in a hand.