How loose should I play in this game?

[Cooker]

I have been dabbling at 7 stud hi for a month or so after I read SCSFAP and I have a question about the .25/.50 game a UB. The ante is .10 and the bring in is .15, so it seems like this should play as a fairly high ante game. If it hasn't been raised, you are getting at least 5.3 to 1 in pot odds to call the bring in at a full table and you would be getting better than 4 to 1 to call a completed bet.

I have been playing a fairly tight game at this level and found the games to be pretty easy. However, I would like to work on maximizing my profit a little.

Does this high an ante structure mean I should be playing quite a few hands even if it is a complete bet to me? I am talking about playing small pairs with a 2 flush or 3 medium straight cards with 1 gap even for a full bet. I know I should be playing looser, I am just not sure how much I should loosen up here. Thanks for the help.

[PoorLawyer]

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I have been dabbling at 7 stud hi for a month or so after I read SCSFAP and I have a question about the .25/.50 game a UB. The ante is .10 and the bring in is .15, so it seems like this should play as a fairly high ante game. If it hasn't been raised, you are getting at least 5.3 to 1 in pot odds to call the bring in at a full table and you would be getting better than 4 to 1 to call a completed bet.

I have been playing a fairly tight game at this level and found the games to be pretty easy. However, I would like to work on maximizing my profit a little.

Does this high an ante structure mean I should be playing quite a few hands even if it is a complete bet to me? I am talking about playing small pairs with a 2 flush or 3 medium straight cards with 1 gap even for a full bet. I know I should be playing looser, I am just not sure how much I should loosen up here. Thanks for the help.

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i would stay away from the one gap straight even if it is just one small bet unless they are high overcards. Same with the small pairs...if it is completed before you and you have an overcard to the probable pair of the raiser than i would consider calling, perhaps even raising if your pair is hidden and you think you can knock everyone else out.

[jon_1van]

live small pairs with a live 2 flush SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED WITH a live medium 1 gapper straight draw.

This is like comparing KQ vs 78 in holdem.

Yes you should play practically any live pair. Assuming it isn't terribly obvious you are beaten.

I assume there are many mulit way pots because of the micro limit. Therefore play to make big hands...draw to flushes more etc.

[Andy B]

This kind of question gets asked fairly regularly here. Yes, loosen up some, but don't get carried away with it. The game is probably going to play loosely enough that you will have to show down the best hand in order to win. I wouldn't play a gapped straight draw for a full bet (I don't like playing those for the bring-in, frankly), and if I'm playing a small pair for a full bet, I want a nice kicker, say an Ace or a straight flush card.

You might find a site with a saner ante structure, and then you could worry about more important things than adjusting to a poorly thought out ante structure.

[grb137]

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I have been dabbling at 7 stud hi for a month or so after I read SCSFAP and I have a question about the .25/.50 game a UB.

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Be warned, .25/.50 games and the Stud games discussed in 7CSFAP are more different than alike.

[Cooker]

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live small pairs with a live 2 flush SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED WITH a live medium 1 gapper straight draw.

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I know this, I was trying to get a feel for how weak a hand I should consider for a small bet. I was trying to say should I play a hand as weak as a small pair with a 2 flush (both live) or even hands much weaker like a 1 gap straight for a small bet. I guess I could have worded it better.

[MBTIGUY]

Head over to Poker Stars - the ante is 5 cents.

Why don't you give .50/1.00 a shot? The games are too passive to need a 300 big bet bankroll at that level. And enough people respect raises that you have a better shot at punishing those who don't.

At Poker Stars the ante is 5 cents, the same as the .25/.50 game. There's usually 2-3 games going. A better bet is Paradise where there is no ante. It's a great place to get your feet wet. There's usually a lot of games going, just avoid the really tight ones (<30% seeing 4th street). The games are typically pretty soft and passive and I was able to seriously build up my bankroll while learning at the same time.

[timmer]

Id suggest playing a few more drawing hands but get away from them if they done improve greatly by 4th ( or 5th)