Learning your Opponents - Boost your Seven Card Stud Reading Hand Strategy

As a Card Stud Player you must know that you may encounter players many times. Even in Las Vegas' Seven Card Stud's poker tables you have a good chance for meeting the same players time after time. It doesn't matter if you play at low-limits tables or high-limits tables. Seven Card Stud players just keep on bumping into each other. Even at online Seven Card Stud poker rooms players meet same players from time to time.

Since you have a fair shot for meeting players you already played against in the past it is very important to keep track on Seven Card Stud players. Keep a small diary and inside it write your impression on them. After playing 3-4 hours against few players you can have a fair view on their Seven Card Stud variant strategies and also - how do they act with certain hands.

For example, you play against a guy and during the game you get to know him a bit - his name is Tim, he's 42 from Jersey. You notice that when Tim holds a Trip at Third Street he raises his bet significantly. This kind of reading hand strategy notes might be very useful the next time you would meet Tim. Write such notes in a book and keep it close to you. You can take a break during a Seven Card Stud session, go to the bathroom and read your notes about Tim without showing evidence that you know how he plays.

The above example is a great use of reading hands Seven Stud Card strategy. And as you can clearly see - it's a strategy that worth investing in. Learning your opponents during a Seven Card Stud game is highly efficient for future games as for your current game.

Notice that you can start learning about your opponents even before you start playing. In many occasions you might wait 10-15 minutes before entering a Seven Card Stud game - this is an excellent time for you to read learn about your opponents without being effected by the game. Now, when you do not play, you can be objective and analyze your future-opponents easily. Just watch their game - look at their starting hands requirements, their betting systems and so on.

Most of reading hands strategy is about the little action players do while they play. You can play online poker and watch how players act in internet poker games. Even there you can learn a lot about players that you might compete against in the future. And remember - always write notes. It's even easier to do when you play online poker since you can play and write them at the same time without anyone knowing it.

Daniel Jenkins, Editorial Staff. 2006-01–22