How I Like to Play Trips on Fourth Street; You Might Have Other Ideas

Hi. Come on in. I didn't pick up anything to eat, so we'll have to raid the refrigerator. There's some cold chicken in there, and about a third of a pizza left from Thursday's party. There's no beer, but plenty of milk.

You wanted to talk about playing three of a kind on fourth street in seven-card stud, at the low and medium limits. I'll give you my thoughts.

If I started with three of a kind and haven't improved, or made trips on fourth street, I probably have the best hand. If I'm first to act, I'll bet – the maximum if I have an option. I want to discourage players who have four-straights or four-flushes from drawing to those hands. They will most likely stay anyway, but I'll make them pay for the draw. I don't want to give them a free chance to beat me. (Free cards are good to get, not to give.)

If someone has bet ahead of me, I'll just call, unless there are two or three players yet to act after me who look like they have four-straights or four-flushes. In that case, I'll raise, trying to drive them out and narrow the field. While it's true I do have a good chance of making a full house and winning a big pot if they also make their hands, it's also true that with several of them drawing to those hands, I stand a bigger chance of being beaten if I don't fill up.

If I'm the high board but not showing a facecard with my trips here on fourth street, I'll bet – the maximum if I have an option. I don't want to miss any bets here. I won't be tipping the strength of my hand. If they are small trips and I had raised on third street, my opponents (those who would think of it at all at these low and medium limits) most likely would have put me on a big pair on third street, and because they see no improvement here on fourth, will figure that is still my maximum holding. And, most players will call on fourth street.

If another player (one player) has a pair showing, the rank of which is higher than my trips, my job is to figure out if he has trips, two pair, or a pair with a drawing hand. What action did he take on third street? Did he raise with a big card showing – bigger than my trips? If so, he now may have trips larger than mine. Do I want to chase him? Not me. Of the three possible outcomes, two are bad for me. If neither of us improves, he wins. If we both improve to full houses, he wins. If I improve and he doesn't, I win. That's one out of three – can't pay the rent that way.

If two or more players have paired their doorcards, the ranks of which are higher than my trips, I am probably beaten in at least one spot. If a raising war develops, I'm probably better off giving up the hand. It's a tough thing to do, but if you're beat, you're beat. It's a judgment call that you can learn only from studying the game, studying your opponents, and experience. It's mostly experience – and that's something I can't give you. I've had to give up trips in this situation. Only once did I discover I had tossed the winning hand. So, I am financially way ahead on the play.

In the same situation as above, if my trips are higher than the ranks they are showing, I'll raise and won't stop raising until the maximum number of raises has been reached or I run out of chips. I have the best hand and the ability to drive out any straight and flush draws. If I win it right here on fourth street, fine. If the other trips stay with me, fine. Either way, I have the best of it.

You should have gathered from what has been said so far that you should usually play trips aggressively on fourth street unless you find a specific reason not to do so.

I forgot about that tuna salad at the back of the second shelf. It's been there for about 10 days, but it's still tasty. Make yourself another sandwich for a snack while you're watching Leno. And kill the light on your way out.

Editor's note: Roy West, author of the bestseller 7 Card Stud, the Complete Course in Winning (available from Card Player), continues to give his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas to both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. Call 1-800-548-6177, Ext. 03.