Seven Card Stud Strategy - Fourth Street Small Pair

If you reached Fourth Street during your Seven Card Stud round and you haven't yet improved your small pair into a Flush, Straight or to three-of-the-same-kind then you should consider folding without risking your bankroll further.

Though in high limits tables of Seven Card Stud you can see high rollers going 'all the way' with small pairs you cannot afford to do so. Let the high rollers play like that for long and they would eventually lose their bankroll.

If your small pair is live at this stage of the game then you may consider moving onward, but only if you can be sure that your opponents haven't got a higher pair. Now is the time to recall at your opponents previous actions in Third Street and decide if they hold a good hand or if they are bluffing.

If you think that you cannot beat the table with your hand maybe you should consider playing 'dirty' with your cards – raise and re-raise bets – this way you can deter players from continuing their game. For example, maybe 2-3 players would fold and you would be dealing with only one or two players. Now you can bluff your way to the pot if you put out a strong poker face.

If you haven't yet bluffed during your Seven Card Stud session and your opponents do not consider you as a loose player they would not want to lose more money. Also, the stakes at Fourth Street are rather low, so most players wouldn't care to lose their stakes now and you can gain a small but real profit with your small pair.

By Mike Dent Editorial Staff - 9/1/06