Aggression in Seven Card Stud Poker

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Seven Card Stud is a game that offers a lot of information to players based on the upcards in each hand. Adversely, this same information can also be used for deception by the aggressive player. Today we are going to talk about aggressive board play in Seven Card Stud.

Made Hand Aggression

For the sake of this section, we are talking about a hand where you are showing at least a pair or better on fourth through sixth street. How you play your made hands is going to depend on several factors.

First, if you pair your door card you are in a great position to take the pot right now. Most players realize that a paired door card will mean trips and at worst two pair. Unless you have a player that is chasing, already has a better hand, or has a monster draw of their own, they are going to get out the hand.

When you pair up either your fourth or fifth street card, you are going to play this like you just hit two pair. Again, you want to control the action by either betting or raising your opponent provided they do not show strength.

Playing an open set is pretty straight forward. It is time to pump the pot and take it down right there.

Drawing Hand Aggression

Semi-bluffing with drawing hands is the most common form of aggression in the game. This usually happens starting when a player had three of the same suit or three cards to a straight showing. Here you are trying to represent that you have gotten there on fifth or sixth and are hoping that your opponent will either let go of a weak hand or will just call and let you draw.

You can also try this on fourth street when you have two cards of the same suit showing. Many players like to raise with a four-flush in hopes of pumping the pot. The only downside is that if you do make your flush, a smart opponent is only going to call you if they think they can outdraw you.

When you do actually make that hand in five or six, continue to “represent” like you have the goods and unless you have shown yourself to only bet when you have a made hand, you should still get some action on at least one street.

High Card Aggression

This is really a pure bluff, but one that can be profitable if you are against a timid player or one that is coming in with a weak pair. Let’s say you complete with a king in late position and someone after you call with an eight. You catch an ace and they a deuce on fourth. This is a chance for you to bet into them to represent either actually having kings or having just caught a pair of aces.

High card aggression relies on your opponent’s board being weak and them being a somewhat bad player. If you try this against them on fourth and they call you down, be wary of continuing in your hand unless you actually hit as they may actually have either improved or limped in with a big pair underneath.

Stud aggression is based almost entirely on the information provided in the upcards. Also, be aware of your opponent’s competence in the game. A calling station or a really bad player is not going to be astute enough to get out of your way, so that type of bluff is going to be unprofitable. However, with the right boards and the right situations, this type of aggression will help you take down more pots in Stud poker.