Losing my 7-card stud virginity
Trip report – St. Louis riverboat (part deux)
Heeding the advice of the great and powerful Felicia that Stud can be a +EV game if played well, I’ve been playing some 5 and 7-card Stud on line at fairly low limits. So when I walked into the President Casino and found a waiting list 23 people long for Hold Em, while there were only three people waiting to play 7-card Stud, I added my name to both lists.
As expected, my name was called less than 25 minutes later for 8 handed 7-card Stud. The game had an interesting structure. There was no anti and the bring-in bet was a mere $2, but $2-$6 could be bet at any time so there were often a lot of limpers. In the game were 3 elderly rocks, a tight playing young guy who knew the game and how to make money, and three players who were chasing anything marginal to the river.
My favorite player however was Bring-In Guy. It seemed like he was the bring-in bet every other hand and if he was the bring-in, he was staying in. I bet a pair of queens (one up and one in the hole) on the flop, the turn, and the river with him showing a small pair and no over cards to my queen and he checked and called and said, “I have to see the queens.”
I was happy to show them to him.
Incidentally, the spread was $2-$6 and I could bet anywhere in that range, but I only bet less than the maximum one time. If they were going to pay me off, I wanted the full amount. The only time I bet less was when I had pocket 10’s with three overcards showing on the board. I raised to $5 to narrow the field and everyone folded so I only won the bring-in and one limper. I’m still not sure if I played that right, but I won $4.
There were three memorable hands. I played A4-5 suited, paired my five and then made a straight with two callers who both thought they hand me dominated with a higher set or higher two pair. The comment, “Wow, I didn’t see that,” earned me a great table image and later allowed me to get everyone to fold betting a pair of seven’s with four diamonds showing.
Again, just like in Hold Em two days prior, I had rolled up ducks and a third showing when I paired my 5’s for a full house that beat out a straight and a flush for a very nice pot.
I also developed a good read on most of the players and when I bet a pair of aces and an older gentleman raised with a pair of 10’s showing on forth street, I laid my aces down face up. He showed a hidden pair of queens and the young, solid player next to me went on and on about what a great lay down it was. I thought it was pretty easy.
The only bad call I think I made came after I checked my pair of queens and a new player, a woman with no pair showing bet into me. She had three hearts showing and I knew she had the flush, but I paid her off. I don’t think a lot of women bluff for $6. Bad call.
I avoided any bad beats and made a total of $105 for a little over two hours of play, which comes out to about 9 big bets per hour. When my name came up for Hold Em, I passed.
I should probably send Felicia ten percent, but I don’t have a mailing address so maybe I’ll just buy her the drink of her choice in Las Vegas if her health allows her to attend the blogger’s tournament.
An interesting side note: Felicia told me her mother started this poker room.
Thanks for reading.
Heeding the advice of the great and powerful Felicia that Stud can be a +EV game if played well, I’ve been playing some 5 and 7-card Stud on line at fairly low limits. So when I walked into the President Casino and found a waiting list 23 people long for Hold Em, while there were only three people waiting to play 7-card Stud, I added my name to both lists.
As expected, my name was called less than 25 minutes later for 8 handed 7-card Stud. The game had an interesting structure. There was no anti and the bring-in bet was a mere $2, but $2-$6 could be bet at any time so there were often a lot of limpers. In the game were 3 elderly rocks, a tight playing young guy who knew the game and how to make money, and three players who were chasing anything marginal to the river.
My favorite player however was Bring-In Guy. It seemed like he was the bring-in bet every other hand and if he was the bring-in, he was staying in. I bet a pair of queens (one up and one in the hole) on the flop, the turn, and the river with him showing a small pair and no over cards to my queen and he checked and called and said, “I have to see the queens.”
I was happy to show them to him.
Incidentally, the spread was $2-$6 and I could bet anywhere in that range, but I only bet less than the maximum one time. If they were going to pay me off, I wanted the full amount. The only time I bet less was when I had pocket 10’s with three overcards showing on the board. I raised to $5 to narrow the field and everyone folded so I only won the bring-in and one limper. I’m still not sure if I played that right, but I won $4.
There were three memorable hands. I played A4-5 suited, paired my five and then made a straight with two callers who both thought they hand me dominated with a higher set or higher two pair. The comment, “Wow, I didn’t see that,” earned me a great table image and later allowed me to get everyone to fold betting a pair of seven’s with four diamonds showing.
Again, just like in Hold Em two days prior, I had rolled up ducks and a third showing when I paired my 5’s for a full house that beat out a straight and a flush for a very nice pot.
I also developed a good read on most of the players and when I bet a pair of aces and an older gentleman raised with a pair of 10’s showing on forth street, I laid my aces down face up. He showed a hidden pair of queens and the young, solid player next to me went on and on about what a great lay down it was. I thought it was pretty easy.
The only bad call I think I made came after I checked my pair of queens and a new player, a woman with no pair showing bet into me. She had three hearts showing and I knew she had the flush, but I paid her off. I don’t think a lot of women bluff for $6. Bad call.
I avoided any bad beats and made a total of $105 for a little over two hours of play, which comes out to about 9 big bets per hour. When my name came up for Hold Em, I passed.
I should probably send Felicia ten percent, but I don’t have a mailing address so maybe I’ll just buy her the drink of her choice in Las Vegas if her health allows her to attend the blogger’s tournament.
An interesting side note: Felicia told me her mother started this poker room.
Thanks for reading.
posted by Mr Reed | 6:51 AM
2 Comments:
Glad you did well. I played in a 8 seat hold-em game Friday night, hubby and I each bought in 750.00 worth of chips and played for just over 6 hours. We cashed out and still had our 750.00. I guess if you can't win a lot, comming out even is good too. I don't have the patience for stud. Takes too long to deal all of those cards!
It still amazes me how you can remember and rehash so many of the hands you play. I was taught when a hand is over to let it go and make it be history. If you can learn something from it, do it and then get rid of the rest of it, otherwise you'll be thinking about hands other than the one you are playing. Sometimes though, I wish I could be more like you and remember the great hands...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Post a Comment
<< Home