Don't be these guys

[piersmajestyk]

If you are going to run a bluff in stud or any other game you have to sell a story to your opponent, you can not just fly off on 7th street and throw out a bluff and expect not to get called in a sizable pot for one more bet. These guys bets had not shot in hell of not getting called by me on the river yet apparently they felt the need to donk off another big bet to me and for that I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart.

If you are going to bluff you have to make the hand you are trying to represent believable. Out of the blue river check raises or bets with nothing are going to get called virtually every time if there has been any action up until that point.

There are also some good stuff in there regarding on how to be aggressive on 3rd street. You can't be a pussy and expect to win at 7 stud, pound those limpers into submission when you get involved in a pot with few exceptions.

Game #1829698453: 7 Card FL ($1/$2) - 2006/03/10 - 19:05:50 (UK)
Table "Abilen"
Seat 1: Madmackem ($273.15 in chips)
Seat 2: Buckbund ($20.50 in chips)
Seat 3: Beach-Bum ($74.75 in chips)
Seat 4: Nyfiken72 ($14.75 in chips)
Seat 5: leebo3 ($83.50 in chips)
Seat 6: Pmajestyk ($99 in chips)
Seat 7: Tasos3003 ($57.68 in chips)
Seat 8: johnadoe ($30.50 in chips)
Buckbund: posts the ante $0.25
johnadoe: posts the ante $0.25
Madmackem: posts the ante $0.25
Beach-Bum: posts the ante $0.25
leebo3: posts the ante $0.25
Tasos3003: posts the ante $0.25
Nyfiken72: posts the ante $0.25
Pmajestyk: posts the ante $0.25
----- 3rd STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem
dealt to Buckbund
dealt to Beach-Bum
dealt to Nyfiken72
dealt to leebo3
dealt to Pmajestyk [Th Qd 9d]
dealt to Tasos3003
dealt to johnadoe
Madmackem: brings-in $0.50
Buckbund: folds
Beach-Bum: folds
Nyfiken72: calls $0.50
leebo3: folds
leebo3 sits out
Pmajestyk: raises $1
Tasos3003: folds
johnadoe: folds
Madmackem: raises $1.50
Nyfiken72: calls $1.50
Pmajestyk: raises $2
Madmackem: calls $1
Nyfiken72: calls $1
----- 4th STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem [7h]
dealt to Nyfiken72 [2d]
dealt to Pmajestyk [Th Qd 9d][Ks]
Nyfiken72: checks
Pmajestyk: bets $1
Madmackem: calls $1
Nyfiken72: calls $1
----- 5th STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem [2s 7h][Jh]
dealt to Nyfiken72 [As 2d][Js]
dealt to Pmajestyk [Th Qd 9d Ks][Tc]
Nyfiken72: checks
Pmajestyk: bets $2
Madmackem: calls $2
Nyfiken72: calls $2
----- 6th STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem [2s 7h Jh][Td]
dealt to Nyfiken72 [As 2d Js][4d]
dealt to Pmajestyk [Th Qd 9d Ks Tc][5c]
Nyfiken72: checks
Pmajestyk: bets $2
Madmackem: calls $2
Nyfiken72: calls $2
----- RIVER -----
dealt to Pmajestyk [Th Qd 9d Ks Tc 5c][2c]
Nyfiken72: checks
Pmajestyk: checks
Madmackem: bets $2
Nyfiken72: folds
Pmajestyk: calls $2
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Madmackem: shows [Ah Kd Jh Td 9h 7h 2s] (High Card Ace)
Pmajestyk: shows [Th Tc Ks Qd 9d 5c 2c] (A Pair of Tens, King high)
Pmajestyk collects $28.50 from Main pot

Game #1829698503: 7 Card FL ($1/$2) - 2006/03/10 - 19:13:26 (UK)
Table "Abilen"
Seat 1: Madmackem ($238.40 in chips)
Seat 2: Buckbund ($27.50 in chips)
Seat 3: Beach-Bum ($97 in chips)
Seat 4: Nyfiken72 ($16.25 in chips)
Seat 5: leebo3 ($80.75 in chips)
Seat 6: Pmajestyk ($112.25 in chips)
Seat 7: Tasos3003 ($61.18 in chips)
Seat 8: johnadoe ($14.25 in chips)
Buckbund: posts the ante $0.25
johnadoe: posts the ante $0.25
Madmackem: posts the ante $0.25
Nyfiken72: posts the ante $0.25
Beach-Bum: posts the ante $0.25
Tasos3003: posts the ante $0.25
leebo3: posts the ante $0.25
Pmajestyk: posts the ante $0.25
----- 3rd STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem
dealt to Buckbund
dealt to Beach-Bum
dealt to Nyfiken72
dealt to leebo3
dealt to Pmajestyk [Qd Kc 9h]
dealt to Tasos3003
dealt to johnadoe
Tasos3003: brings-in $0.50
johnadoe: folds
Madmackem: calls $0.50
Buckbund: folds
Beach-Bum: calls $0.50
Nyfiken72: folds
leebo3: calls $0.50
Pmajestyk: raises $1
Tasos3003: folds
Madmackem: calls $0.50
Beach-Bum: calls $0.50
leebo3: calls $0.50
----- 4th STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem [Ac]
dealt to Beach-Bum [8h]
dealt to leebo3 [5d]
dealt to Pmajestyk [Qd Kc 9h][9s]
Pmajestyk: bets $2
Madmackem: calls $2
Beach-Bum: folds
leebo3: calls $2
----- 5th STREET -----
dealt to Madmackem [4h Ac][7d]
dealt to leebo3 [6h 5d][9c]
dealt to Pmajestyk [Qd Kc 9h 9s][6c]
Pmajestyk: bets $2
Madmackem: folds
leebo3: calls $2
----- 6th STREET -----
dealt to leebo3 [6h 5d 9c][2c]
dealt to Pmajestyk [Qd Kc 9h 9s 6c][Kd]
Pmajestyk: bets $2
leebo3: calls $2
----- RIVER -----
dealt to Pmajestyk [Qd Kc 9h 9s 6c Kd][Tc]
Pmajestyk: bets $2
leebo3: raises $4
Pmajestyk: calls $2
----- SHOW DOWN -----
leebo3: shows [5h 5d 9c 7c 6h 4c 2c] (A Pair of Fives, Nine high)
Pmajestyk: shows [Kc Kd 9h 9s Qd Tc 6c] (Two Pairs, Kings and Nines, Queen high)
Pmajestyk collects $27.25 from Main pot

[flafishy]

[briachek]

exactly what i was thinking. Raising KQ9 rainbow?

[flafishy]

These hands are the equivalent of, say, QT or K9 or something like that in holdem.

[Juskimo]

at the crypots, you win by slamming bets into the players the entire time. If you only play 20% of your hands, you raise 14% of hands and keep betting, someone will have a worse hand and call 88% of the time.

He is looking at a very under heavy board where he has at least 1 over. If he gets callers, odds are that they have a small pair and may be ahead on 3rd, but are behind in the hand. Even if he keeps betting, he is not going to get raised. These players will play Aces full the same as they will play a pair of kings. So you have to stay agressive.

The average table is something like 55% vp$ip, 1% raise 3rd. 45% wtsd.

They are soo passive that you have to keep betting and know that if you are playing the top 25% (which includes kq9 with that board), you will usually be ahead.

-Jus

[Kuso]

[flafishy]

Kuso, hard and fast numbers (top 25% hands, odds to hit a flush, etc.) are much harder to pin down in Stud than in holdem because there are so many more variables that come into play.

But beginners would be well-advised to limit starting hands to premium pairs (J or higher), trips (of course), three-card flushes and three-card straights that contain at least one face card. Stay away from just about anything else while you're learning. You can eventually start opening up a bit once you start figuring out what works and what doesn't.

Fold the three-card flushes/straights if you brick fourth street and someone bets into you. Or fold them if you end up heads-up, as you won't have sufficient pot odds to draw to them. Don't take the big pairs too far if you don't improve and someone with a premium door card is taking the betting lead or reraises you along about fifth street.

Piers and Juskimo are correct. If you decide to play a hand, it's best to play it for all it's worth. Don't be timid.

But I'll have to disagree with them on the examples here. Piers' play here seems to me more maniacal than solid. You can get lucky like he did and take down some big pots. But more likely, you'll go broke fast playing hands like that.