7 Card Common Mistakes

When you play 7 Card Poker you want to first and foremost avoid making mistakes. The main reason most players lose at Stud is because they make a ton of mistakes. The inexperienced players continue to do the same foolish things and it costs them money.

The first mistake made by poker players, not just Stud players, is to play too many hands. Some Stud players will get involved in nearly every hand and that is a recipe for disaster. You can’t play every hand in Stud and expect to win. Inexperienced players, or players that are known for “home play,” will get into every hand hoping to hit a draw. Those players will occasionally hit a hand, but in the long run they will lose money. Many times players that have played Stud all their lives want to see every single card all the way through the hand. They point out that it is a 7-card game, and they want to see all of the cards. They can’t understand anyone who plays differently, and that is to the advantage of the serious player.

The second major mistake that many players make is to not read the board. It is very easy to fall in love with your own hand and not see what is happening with other hands. Many players focus only on their own hand and the possibilities of hitting something, while totally ignoring what everyone else has. This is a big problem for the “home player,” as they just fail to see what else could be out there for everyone else.

Another big mistake made by Stud players is falling in love with straights. Playing for straights is plain and simple bad strategy. You are going to lose so many hands trying for straights. The odds rarely support getting involved when a straight is what you are trying to hit. Remember that when you fall in love with a straight you are always at risk of getting beat by a flush.

7 Card Stud players often make two other major mistakes. They fall in love with small pairs and slow play big pairs. You can’t do either of these things and expect to win at Stud. Small pairs just don’t win very often. Conversely, these same players don’t aggressively raise with big pairs and leave everyone in the hand trying to draw out on them. If you have a big pair, bet early and often. You can’t have everyone hanging around looking for a draw, because the more players in the pot, the worse your big pair looks. These same players also fall in love with Aces and Kings, not realizing that it takes more than just a high card to win.

The final major mistake most players make in Stud is letting their emotions run their play. The home player goes on tilt much more often than an experienced pro. A bad beat will send them right over the edge and get them doing insane things at the table. Keep your emotions in check and you will always be better off.