Seven Card Stud Strategy - Third Street High Pairs

If you are lucky enough to hit a high pair (10/J/Q/K/A) at Third Street then you have two lines of action you should take, these lines depend on whether you high pair, which four example would be a pair of 10's, is concealed or not.

In case both of your initial cards are the double 10's, then you are doing good, but not so good that you can already rest. Both you hole cards are high and your doorcard would not give any details away to your opponents, this is good, but you must now bet and deter players with a flush or a straight, which are common in Seven Card Stud.

By raising your bet you are protecting you cards, the more you can stick in the game the better you are, but not if you suspect that other players hold a better pair or a trip. Pay special attention to any bets made at all time, try to decide who' bluffing and who's not.

If your doorcard is a part of the pair then you are exposed and betting would reveal the trap you are trying to set (and you are trying to set such trap). Play slow, make sure that your opponents do not consider you as their threat; they'll put you on a low pair rather than a high one.

Remember, your goal is to reach out for more cards and to fill up to a trip or four of a kind, but not in the price of losing. Always consider others' cards as well, even at such early stage of the game.

David Gendam, Editorial, 15th of December, 2005.