Seven Card Stud Strategy – Fourth Street High Pairs

The course of action you should take with a high pair at Fourth Street relays on their status. If your pair is live and hidden, then you are can bet the maximum, but if they are split or dead you should consider folding instead of contributing more to a pot you are not likely to win, do not get "attached" to your cards even if they are high.

A hidden live pair puts you in a good spot; you may relax a little, but still, pay special attentions to others' cards and bets. If your opponents handle a low-pair you can place the maximum bet and drive off Flushes and Straights before they would strengthen their hands. A hidden pair you can improve to a strip in later stages of the game and you would have the advantage of luring your opponents into a trap. For example, if you hold a hidden Q-Q pair and you improve it to a trip, then your opponents would not suspect it, making room for you to manipulate them to place more bets, which you would claim later on. If you notice higher pairs on the table you should fold, as mentioned before – do not get attached to the cards.

If your high pair is split and you notice a great deal of action around the table you should not move on, other players are likely to fill to a trip or better pairs than yours. At low to medium limits' tables players usually play according to their cards, hence they are not bluffing, but at high-limits tables you may act on the assumption that the "action" is actually just a show, which is meant for you to fold ahead of time.

Avoid putting large bets at Fourth Street with only a high pair; it's true, the odds for you to improve your hand to a strip are reasonable, but as you can improve so can others. If you feel you have the highest hand then you should call all bets and re-raise others' bets. If you re successful most players would draw, leaving you with a fair share of the pot.

Mike Dent. Editor. 20/12/05