Poker News

Stud 8 Myths

Stud 8 Myths

If you’re a fan of 7- card stud, maybe you’ve thought about making the crossover into 7-card stud 8 or better. Perhaps you’ve crossed the table in the card room at your favorite casino where it’s being played and liked the heavy action common to so many stud 8 games. Or maybe you decided to play some stud 8 while waiting to get into a stud game. Maybe you’ve even decided to try the game online or in your weekly card game for a change of pace. The game looks like regular 7-card stud, but it’s more “fun” because the pot can be split, so you can play more hands and win more money, right?

Well, if you follow that line of thinking, one thing’s for sure - fun will be had, but it won’t be by you. It’ll be by the people taking your money. Seven Card Stud 8-or-Better may look a lot like it’s cousin 7-card stud, but there are some big differences between the two games. One article can’t do justice to the entire game, but it can help clear up some common myths that are the pitfall of many a player used to playing 7- stud and starting to learn stud 8 and help get you started on the path to success. Let’s look at two of the biggest myths that the beginning stud 8 player needs to quickly get rid of if you want to go to the cashier’s cage as opposed to the ATM after your session:

Myth #1: I can play the same hands I do in 7-stud because the high hand always wins at least half of the pot. This is a huge mistake. Starting hand requirements differ greatly in stud 8. In 7-card stud, you can often play hands like 996, 33K, etc. This is a sure-fire way to lose money, because you areonly going one way with the hand. The best hands are those that give you potential both ways - such as three small cards in sequence (345) or three small suited cards. Here, you have a great shot to have a hand develop into a powerhouse that will scoop (win the entire) pot rather than just half of it.

Myth #2: Most big pairs are playable. If you are new to the game, avoid going “high,” meaning starting with any big pair other than aces or three-of-a-kind. (As you become a better player you can include kings and queens into your play, but if just starting to get into the game, these hands are extremely dangerous). Start with good low hands and try to qualify for the low and “back in” to the high - it’s much easier for a low hand to qualify for the high than it is for a high hand to “back in” to the low.

Hanging onto these myths are a path to disaster for anyone starting to play stud 8. Because the high hand always wins half of the pot (and many times the whole pot) low limit players love to play the same hands they do in stud - any pair. Many loose players that fill the low limits love action - stud can be a game of boredom, but stud 8, with the presence of the low pot, means many more hands can be played in their line of thinking. This line of thinking leads one to quickly lose his or her chips! The question you always need to be asking is “what are my chances to scoop (win the entire pot) with this hand?” Hands going only one way limit your potential - you are getting poor pot odds to chase hands and are putting money into the pot you aren’t likely to get back when the pair doesn’t improve on fourth or fifth streets. Save yourself the chips and play the quality hands that go both ways, only going high when you are absolutely sure that you’re the best high hand.

Next time, we’ll look at two other big myths that many new to stud 8 have - that any low cards and any flush draws are playable.

Filed under: Poker News