We need to talk now about the conditions under which you can play some of the weaker hands. The safest way to play Seven-Card Stud is just to stick to the best starting hands, but it's sometimes reasonable to play some other hands too. There are some hands that many of us like to "take two cards off" with. In other words, many top Stud players will play a speculative hand for the first two rounds of betting, and then throw it away if they don't improve it by then. Many of us will call two small bets on the first and second rounds of betting, and then throw our hand away for the big bet on the third round of betting (fifth street) if we don't improve our start by then. Any concealed pocket pair can be played that way.
For example, I might call one bet in a multiway pot with (6-6) 9, trying to hit a six for hidden trips. I figure that it will cost me one bet on the first round of betting and one bet on the second round of betting; but if I hit my hand I can win three big bets, perhaps more, on the next three rounds of betting. With (6-6) 9, I can hit a six for that very well disguised hand of trips, or perhaps I will hit a seven and an eight, which will give me a pair and an open-ended straight draw. If I hold the latter, which would look like (6-6) 9-7-8, I'm very interested in continuing if the cards I need are live (not all burned on other players' up cards). If I haven't seen too many sixes, fives, or tens folded (or still sitting out there in view), I'm playing on, unless someone else has a board that looks too strong. In fact, I will probably jam it at this point in the hand, in order to test my opponents and see if they all fold their hands right now. You never know when a well-timed raise will win a pot.
Another good hand to take two cards off with is (A-4) 4. Your starting hand in this case is a small pair with an ace kicker. If you do manage to hit the ace or the four, you will wind up with a powerful hand, either aces up or trips. A small pair with a queen or a king kicker is also playable, for similar reasons, but make sure that your kicker is larger than your opponent's pair. For example, (5-K) 5 isn't very attractive if you think you're up against aces, and (3-Q) 3 isn't appealing if it appears that your opponent has a pair of kings. In the case of a pocket pair or a pair with an ace, a king, or a queen kicker, you need hit only one nice card to put yourself in fine shape.
Another good kind of speculative hand is something like (3
-4) 5 although you need to hit two cards to make such a hand. Be that as it may, straight-flush draws are good hands to gamble with in multiway pots as well. Do as I say, and not as I occasionally do, and don't play hands like low straight-flush draws with just one opponent! I get myself into a lot of trouble with this hand. I mean, I hate hitting the fourth flush card right away and then having to call the next three bets still drawing. It seems that when you're "flushing," everyone in the game knows it, and everyone keeps betting right on into you, charging you the maximum number of bets. This is one of those times when Lady Luck rears her head and decides whether you'll win some big pots or lose some big pots. If you hit your flush or straight draws, you may win all the chips. If you miss your draws, you're in a lot of trouble!
