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.
