ha ha, the world would have to LOOK mighty mighty MIGHTY hard, to find another ATE.
After the terrible disrespect shown, by Cardplayer readers, THEY AIN:T gettin' no more ATE.
Cardplayer is LUCKY that ATE has TOTAL class! Had I mentioned the name of my new HOME, I coudda taken HUNDREDS of their readers away.
As it is, people really worked HARD to find out where I was.
Hmmmm, I wonder if the BTP people, know this?
Anyway, five card stud is a pretty simple game, with just a few (yet crittically important) rules to follow.
(1) The minumum starting hard, is having your hole card, be higher than anyone's up card. There are a few exceptions. If you have, say KQ, with NO and I mean NO kings or queens showing on second street, and one person shows an ace, you may elect to see the third card. It is also important, that the player showing the ace, play a predictable style. If they are the type of player, who will only raise, if they actually HAVE AA back to back, then you can be more inclined to play KQ, as you can safely fold, if they raise. If however, they are a tricky player, and will bet with only an ace high hand, it's best not to put yourself of playing the "do they have it, or hope to get it" guessing game.
(2) in loose games, where there are many callers, forget about playing hands, who's only claim to fame, is that you have an ace (either up or down) with a LOW card.
playing something like A 2, or A 6, is just hopeless.
Now, an exception to this, is if: THE VAST MAJORITY OF OPPONENT'S UPCARDS, ARE LOWER THAN YOUR SMALL CARD
(God, I'm a genius)
Example:
You (6) A (figure in panenthasises represents hole card)
opponents: show K 2 3 4 3 5
Go ahead, and POP it, with the Ace six hand.
(3) for God's sake, when someone SHOWS a bigger pair than yours . . GET OUT
Hoping that you make two pair, and they don't . . OR DON"T ALREADY have trips. Have cost people MILLLIONS of dollars, in the history of 5 stud.
Now, an exception would be a HUGE pot, with both of your trip cards live.
But there would have to be some pretty darned BIG pot odds, to continue.
But, when they pair on third street, and you are not that involved. FORGET ABOUT CALLING.
(4) Try to narrow the field, as much as possible, when playing micro pairs.
Against 4 or five players, something like 22, is GOING to get outdrawn more often than not.
If you raise with 22, and get four callers, I'd forget about betting the hand, unless you trip up, or catch an OVERCARD to everyone's highest upcard, . . . . AND IT'S live
Anyway, I hope this helps. Sorry, but my most indepth answers, have to be reserved for more popular games.
Not that your question is not important, but ATE, being a fat idiot only has a very limited amount of energy to sit here.
Actually though, this is a pretty detailed answer, the longest I've ever written on the game of 5 stud.
Look for the lowest ante, possible.
It's hard to get a playable hand, so you DON"T want to be anted to death, waiting for one.