Introduction:
In seven-card stud, the size of the antes and
forced bet in relation to the betting structure
is one of the most important considerations of
the game. This essay is intended to explore the
common betting structures used in most cardrooms
and how you should adapt your game to take advantage
of the differences.
No
variation of poker gives more weight to the game's
basic structure than seven-card stud. Unlike flop
games such as Texas holdem and Omaha, which have
blinds in conjunction with the betting limit,
every level of seven-card stud level is different.
In stud, the antes and forced bet change significantly
in relation to the betting structure. Therefore,
a player should be ready to make certain strategic
adjustments. These adjustments are influenced
primarily by the amount of the first raise in
proportion to the size of the pot.
For
this and other reasons, third-street decisions
are critical in seven- card stud. In fact, among
advanced players in highly-competitive games,
a winning session may depend on your ability to
exploit opponents' mistakes on third street (prompting
an improper call or fold); so much so, that this
may be the single biggest factor in determining
your results, in some games.
First,
is a fixed playing strategy advisable based solely
on the betting structure? While it's probably
unwise to make general assumptions about any game
based on something so elementary as the betting
limits, one must nevertheless make definite adjustments
that take into account the size of the ante, the
forced bet, and the size of the initial bet and
raise. My comments will be based upon a typical
stud game that includes a regular mix of tight
and loose players of varying skills. Obviously,
if the game is composed of many players of one
extreme or another -- different strategies would
be advisable.
What
structures call for tight play? What structures
call for looser play -- and therefore are conducive
to entering multi-way pots with drawing hands?
What structures call for more ante steal attempts?
These are just a few of the questions we will
seek to answer.
Some
betting structures make it necessary to play aggressively
on third street, frequently trying to steal the
pot with the first raise. This occurs specifically
in structures where the first raise is relatively
low in proportion to the size of the pot (the
sum total of antes and the forced bet). These
are usually higher-limit games. By playing aggressively
early in the hand, the initial raiser wins more
money when his ante steal succeeds. He also wins
more when his raise is called and his hand improves,
or he catches scare cards that may win the pot
later. The downside is that monetary fluctuations
are more severe in these games.
On
the other hand, some structures call for a much
more straightforward approach. Patience works
best in these games. When the ante is relatively
small in proportion to the betting limit, solid
players can pretty much play it "by the book."
Patience is rewarded with a steady profit - often
with much smaller bankroll swings.
Why?
Because in these games, the low ante gives a skilled
player an opportunity to see more hands for less
money. This is a tremendous advantage for players
who are disciplined enough to practice good starting-hand
selection. Many successful stud players that I
know tend to prefer playing in precisely these
types of games, because they subject themselves
to minimal bankroll risk (lower standard deviation)
combined with an expectation of steady (although
modest) winnings. In other words, they prefer
structures with positive expectation, but with
less financial risk.
However,
the very best stud players are able to adjust
their play in accordance with any structure. They
adapt different styles suited to all types of
games. They shift gears in some instances from
tight, relatively uncreative play -- to a more
wide-open aggressive style which takes advantage
their understanding, and their opponents lack
thereof, about how and why structure influences
proper strategy.
Let's
define what is meant by the ante and forced bet
(also called the "bring-in") in relation
to the initial raise. The following chart shows
the betting structure commonly used in Atlantic
City poker rooms. I decided to examine the Atlantic
City model for a few reasons.
First,
I am more intimately familiar with these game
conditions since I have put in thousands of hours
in Atlantic City's cardrooms since 1993 (when
poker was first legalized in New Jersey's casinos).
Second, there is a higher concentration of stud
action in Atlantic City than elsewhere (certainly
more than in Las Vegas or California). And finally,
the common betting structures used in Atlantic
City make my general observations later in this
column more reliable (Note: In this chart, we
are assuming a full-table of eight players):
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