'The Problem With Stud is All of Those Cards You Have to Count'

Hi. Come on in. I picked up a bucket of chicken on the way home last night. Ate only a few pieces. Get it out of the fridge and grab a couple of bottles of soda pop.

I've been doing some thinking about what I call the "stuff" of winning poker. "Stuff" is poker knowledge that isn't specifically strategy but is important to winning. Players have been telling me that there is a lot of information available on strategy, but they would like to get more "stuff." OK, we'll look at some "stud stuff" today and get to hold'em later.

It seems like about a hundred years ago that I first came to Las Vegas and began to seriously play seven-card stud. I was bothered by the fact that there were so many cards to remember. Several times, I took working players aside and asked about this problem. The answer that I kept getting was, "I have the same problem. Let me know if you figure it out." So, I set about figuring it out.

I pondered, contemplated, and, of course, figured. While pondering, or perhaps it was during contemplation, the answer flashed quietly into my mind. "We make it much tougher than we need to." It looks like a big job, remembering all of those cards lying out there. Actually, however, it doesn't have to be a big job.

Here's how you make it much easier. You are one of eight players at the table. Four players fold on third street and four players, including you, stay in the hand. You won't have to remember your exposed card because there it is, right in front of you. That leaves three other players, and you won't have to remember their cards, either, because they are lying right out there in front of them. So, now we are beginning to see that the problem is actually smaller than it looks.

There's no point in remembering a card that is still in plain sight. So here on third street, we have to remember only the four cards that were folded. Put them into your memory as they fold. Let's say that they are folded in this order – 9, jack, 7, 4. Rearrange them in your mind as 4, 7, 9, jack. You'll find it easier to remember them in sequence. I prefer starting with the lowest card and going to the highest, because that's the way I learned to count – up. Some prefer the other way around. Take your choice. It will be a rarity that you'll have to, or be able to, see and account for all 13 of a suit. Take note if you've seen more than four. That will make it unlikely that an opponent is drawing to a flush in that suit. If you see two or fewer of a suit, consider it to be "live."

Two other players don't like what they see on fourth street and fold, two cards each. Put them into memory, in sequence, as they fold. Now, a total of eight cards have been shown and folded – and that's all you have to remember … eight cards.

There are now only two players left in the hand, you and one opponent, and all upcards will stay on the table until someone folds and the hand ends, or there is a showdown. With different numbers of players folding on different streets, these numbers will change, but usually, you will be required to memorize only nine or 10 cards at the most. That's a lot easier than trying to remember every card shown during the entire hand. Simple, huh? You're welcome.

Another Poker Question That I've Been Asked Too Many Times

I was on the rail of one of our local card emporiums, observing the game I was about to enter while waiting for a seat to open. (That's a good time to get a line on the play of your opponents, rather than standing around lying about the big win you had last night.) Another railbird, a pleasant young fellow, struck up a conversation. He said he knew that his most important decision in seven-card stud is whether to play after seeing his first three cards. Then, he said he had heard that of close second importance is whether to continue playing on fifth street, but he didn't know why.

Just then, my name was called for my seat. I quickly explained to him that it's on fifth street that the betting will tend to become heavier in a spread-limit game, and the limits double in a fixed-limit game. Also, at fifth street, players either have made their hands or now have hands to which they can draw and make completed hands. The possibilities abound. Then, I told him that it would do him good to keep in mind this rule of play: Don't stay past fifth street unless you are planning to stay to the end. He politely thanked me and disappeared into the night.

We've done a good job of making that chicken disappear. Now, I need a nap. Take those last two pieces and kill the light on your way out.

Roy West, author of the bestseller 7 Card Stud, the Complete Course in Winning (available from Card Player), continues working on a hold'em curriculum in Las Vegas for both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. Call 1-800-548-6177 Ext. 03.