Okay, so last night I was playing at a 7-Stud table with Perry Friedman at Full Tilt. The stakes are $2/$4 with a $.40 ante and a bring-in of $.50. The table is 7-handed.

You are to the right of the bring-in a three flush.

Scenario A: You have (Q2)7. There is one of your suit out and only one deuce. The player to the left of the bring in (showing an ace) raises to $2 and it folds to the player on your right, who calls. $2 to call and there's $8.30 in the pot ($2.80 from the antes, $.50 bring-in, 2 $2 bets).

Scenario B: You have Q2(7). There are none of your suit out and none of your cards are showing. Two players are showing aces, but otherwise, the doorcards are 9 or lower). The bring-in is on your right and the player to the left of the bring-in (one of the 2 aces) raises. The player to your right calls. Again, it is $2 to call and there's $8.30 in the pot.

Scenario C: You have AK(7). There is one of your suit out. Two players are showing aces and one has a king. The bring-in is on your right and the player to the left of the bring-in (holding an ace) raises. The player to your right calls. Again, it is $2 to call and there's $8.30 in the pot.

One of these scenarios is actually true. Perry Friedman is the raiser and the player on my right is new to the table. On fourth, Perry caught an ace and I folded to his bet. I made a comment that I had a three-flush and he said he couldn't think of a single case that he would call a complete with a three-flush with only one caller.

I'm presenting these scenarios because in all three, I would call to see 4th. I know for a fact that I'm too loose in Stud - but I figure most 3-flush hands can stand up pretty well for a single raise, getting 4:1 to improve. I'm not sure of this (and hence the reason I am posting it), so I figured I'd try to get some opinions on the matter.

/d

Unless it's a 3 flush with either an ace or str8 potential I think you let it go unless you can see 4th unraised (rare, I know). Something like (Q7)2 I'd release, but could stay with (QJ)9. You are going to have a hard time getting odds to draw when the price goes up, and I think you always have to release if you don't go 4 flush on 4th.

An ungapped 3 to a straight flush, however, is another story. I'll call 2 raises with (QJ)T suited.

I think I've played pretty much every 3-flush (no matter how raggy) that I've gotten that wasn't in a raised pot and had solid outs since I've started playing Stud again in the last week or two. When I mean solid outs - I mean either 0 or 1 other of the flush cards out and preferably all of my other cards live (which means I've folded a fair many of them...).

I also never continue past 4th without improvement (either hitting a good top pair (queens or higher) unless someone's showing aggression or straightening out or similar). If others are improving as well, I'm careful to note what they are improving to as well.

The game I played last night was pretty tight compared to what I've been playing on the cryptos. It was a 7-handed table and frequently was either heads-up or 3-handed on 4th. This feels more like an "upper-level" stud game. On the Cryptos it was 6-7 to 4th and usually 2-5 on 7th... Since most of these type of flush draws were on Crypto - I suppose I probably was getting the odds to draw with my three flush.

I muck in all three instances. Flush draws are fine but you should have something else working for you as well. Are your cards all live, do you a card higher than the top card showing, what cards are left to act behind you. Ragged three flushes should not be played very often unless you are in late position and can limp in with alot of other folks AND only 1 or perhaps max 2 of your suit are out.

If you don't have a copy you should pick up Roy West's book. It is pretty good in giving the basics of what you need to beat low to mid limit stud games. After you read that get S&M's book to gear up your game even higher. Study both well and you should be able to handle easily any of the lower limit stud games you are likely to face. I really enjoy playing stud but the damn multitable factor makes it so it is not in my best interest to do so. I believe that a person that only wanted to play one table at a time on the internet would be much better off learning to play stud and stud 8.