Texas Holdem may be enjoying huge popularity, but poker purists still prefer the excitement of seven card stud. This classic poker game offers higher pot odds, more chances for building on good starting hands, and really good players can win with their bluffing skills. In this article, we’ll reveal some of the secrets that the best poker players use to win big.

Seven card stud is a high card game. More winning hands are decided by the highest pair, or two pair, than by straights, flushes and other big hands. If you get a straight or flush draw in a starting hand, then it should have at least two high cards or at least one card that is higher than anything up on the board. These draw hands and low pair hands need to improve or turn into a high pair quickly to justify continued play. Any time your high hand is beaten on the board, fold, unless you think you still have the best draw hand. When you start with a high pair, fast play to eliminate as many players as possible. Slow play draw hands to keep other players in to increase the pot in case you hit.

Unless you are playing with a strong starting hand, it’s usually best to fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent’s up cards. To minimize potential losses, look for reasons to fold your starting hand and those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card in the denomination that you need and for two or three dead cards in the suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition developing for the winning hand. When you can’t find reasons to fold, then you can then proceed aggressively. Keep an eye out for multiple “check-around” plays on the seventh street. Straight and flush draws often hit on the last card and there is usually so little in the pot that your last card pair is not a very good bet. Bluffing is one of the most popular and effective tools used by poker players. If you become a really good bluffer, players will never know what to expect. Some players hide behind props like cigars to help them with their bluffing. If you are going to bluff, make sure that it will work to your benefit. Semi bluffing in stud is usually best done in the early streets of the game. By betting and raising aggressively, you can eliminate the more timid players. In a pure bluff, you’ll convince other players that you have a great hand even when you have nothing.

Common sense is as important to winning in seven card stud as luck and skill. No matter how much in-depth knowledge you have of the game, patience is the key. Play wisely by never chasing a hand. While you may get lucky sometimes, crossing your fingers is never a good strategy! You should also be vigilant about watching visible cards. They’ll always tell you whether to hold ‘em or to fold ‘em.