Play three card straights ?

Should three card mediuom straights be played on third street. ? If so how many dead cards out is to many? How about dead pair cards ?


I am skeptical of these staring hands because staights are hard to make and often loose to flushes , full houses and higher straights.

Author and card Player columnist Roy West states in his stud book that "I know many pros who don't play any straights and a bunch more who don't play many". West recomend playing only 10 high starts or better .


I am a holdem player now playing more stud at Bellagio and Mirage in Vegas 10-20 and 15-30 .


I do play eight high straight starts and better if the situation is good and my cards are mostly live.

i play them like i would medium type pairs. in the right spots they are good. they need lots of players or a spot where you can win without hitting it. or headup with someone you can control or bluff. you need to learn to be able to fold when you hit the inside straight draw and the pot isnt good.

My theory about 3-straights is that they add a tremendous amount of variance without adding much profit. Still, I think you should play them in late position if you can get in cheap in a multiway pot vs weak opponents who chase too much with pairish hands.


If you have a live 2-flush, that adds hugely to your hand to the point where you could even play something like [9h 8s] 6h if the sevens are live. Your hand is even better if the 2-flush is buried. I would just about always play a 3-straight with a 2-flush for one bet if the cards are live.


But otherwise I would throw away most 3-straights if it's a tough game or an aggressive game with a lot of early-street raising, if the pots frequently become heads-up on fourth, or if I'm playing on a short bankroll (the small extra profit isn't worth the risk). I would also throw them away in games where fourth street often gets checked around, because now there's usually not enough money in the pot to call a bet on fifth if you haven't completed.


Having live pair cards doesn't add much value to your hand unless you have something like [Ks Qh] Jd and nobody else has a door card higher than a T or J showing. But this sort of hand actually plays better heads-up and is not so good in a multiway pot.


TRLS

in games where fourth street gets checked around they become even better, as it gives you an extra draw at making a four straight or two pair or trips if you happened to pair on fourth street. and you can almost always call on fith street with a draw even if checked on fourth street in most decent sized games.

Mason's essay on "Why Hold'em Players Lose Stud"

U need:


(1) multi-way action

(2) no more than 1 of your primary cards out

(3) No more than 2 of your secondary cards out

(4) If no more than 2 other players are seeing 4th Str.,

DO NOT PLAY unless the game is passive

(5) If the game is loose-aggressive,do not play medium Str8's.--U want to make a drawing hand as cheaply as possible.

(6) unless the table is passive,do not come in with this hand in early or early middle position--especially if there is an aggressive player in the game

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Study "Seven Card Stud for Advanced Players" by RayZee,Malmuth,Sklansky

Study "Seven Card Stud Poker" by Konstantin Othmer

Study "The Theory of Poker" by Sklansky

Put the words of these books on tapes and listen to them frequently

Compare the ideas of Roy West,Konstantin,and Rayzee and incorporate these authors' ideas on tape.

Always study your opponents at the table

Always consider the strengths or weaknesses of their hands RELATIVE to your own.

Remembering the exposed cards in stud is critical-nothing to remember in hold'em.

Your big pair will more frequently be run down by two smaller pairs--unlike in hold'em.

Your variance will be be greater in stud than in hold,em.


Happy Pokering,

Sitting Bull

Thanks for the input "Sitting Bull" great advice ! Bellagio 15-30 has been a roller coaster ride.