How to play the 3rd Street
Introduction
In this article you will learn
- Which hands are strong hands
- When to play weaker hands
- When to raise and when to call
This article will cover the 3rd Street in Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo. This is the stage where you are dealt your first three cards. Due to the complex nature of Stud8, as well as the many possible combinations and the effect of dead cards (cards which can't be dealt), there is no Starting Hands Chart to follow.
This article will show you how to put a starting hand in the right category and give you suggestions on how to continue playing the hand.
We can roughly place all starting hands in one of three categories:
- Very strong hands
- Strong hands
- Marginal hands
Category 1: Very strong hands, almost always playable
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Rolled-up Trips are three-of-a-kind. These are the strongest possible Hi hands, but rarely have a possibility at making a Lo hand. This means you can only scoop the pot as long as there is no Lo hand at the showdown and you should try to force the potential Lo hands out of the pot on the 3rd Street.
There is no correct way to play rolled-up trips: if you have trips ranging from 9-K you should try to avoid playing against a Lo hand, because you might end up winning only half the pot. You won't have a chance to ruin your opponents' odds in the later rounds of betting, so try to make them fold any potential Lo hand from the start.
Your goal is to either play against several opponents who are speculating on a Lo hand, or against one or two opponents, who are speculating on a Hi hand. This means that you have to carefully consider the best action in each individual situation.
For example, you have K
K
K
and an opponent raises in front of you with Q
showing, ask yourself how the players behind you will react: if you expect them to call the original raise with weak cards, you can call too.
If, however, you only expect them to call with very good cards for a Lo hand, you should re-raise to get the Lo hands out of the pot and isolate the opponent who originally raised, so that you can scoop the pot.
If you have 7 7 7, however, you can go ahead and raise to make your opponents think you are trying to push the other Lo hands out, so that you can play for at least half of the pot.
Be careful with hands like 9 9 9 or better. If an opponent raises in front of you with an over card showing and you re-raise, he will suspect you have trips or a hidden over pair and will probably stop investing his chips.
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These are hands like 3 4 5 or 5 6 7, or even 3 4 6 , so basically any three suited connectors that would also be useful in a Lo hand. These hands are still strong even if there is a gap between two of the cards, but keep in mind, the fewer the gaps, the stronger the hand.
These hands have the potential to turn into straights, flushes, straight flushes, Lo hands, etc, making them some of the strongest starting hands in Stud8. You should almost always play them on 3rd Street. Be aggressive; raise and re-raise.
The depth and strength of such a hand gives you a lot of options on how to play it: you can play against a high or low number of opponents, you can call, raise or re-raise etc. It's important to pay attention to what is going on in the game - how alive is your hand? Is your Lo draw the best possible draw on the board? Is your opponent trying to push you out or to keep you in the pot? As a general rule, you should try to push out other Lo draws and play against as many Hi hands as possible.
If, for example, you have the 5 6 7 and see a 6, or something smaller behind you, a raise would help push that player out of the pot. This increases the chances of your Lo hand being the best Lo hand at the showdown.
If you don't have the chance to push such hands out of the pot on the 3rd Street (if they are in front of you, for example) pay attention to how their hand develops on the 4th Street and seize any opportunity that should arise.
Even though it is often advantageous to raise, don't forget that you are holding a drawing hand and therefore want to have several opponents in the pot. As long as most of your outs are still alive, you don't have to worry about playing against a high pair or similar hand, just watch out for others who might be on a better Lo hand. The best thing that can happen in such a situation is that you play against several opponents and end up winning the whole pot.
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Two aces and a Lo card are a strong starting hand. Such a hand is even stronger when the cards bring additional possibilities, such as being suited and/or connected.
The smaller the kicker card, the better the chances are that it will end up being the best Lo hand. This hand, however, isn't strong because of the potential it has, but rather because of what it already is. The fact that it has potential to get even bigger simply makes it even stronger.
A pair of aces is the highest possible pair. At this point the only starting hand that can be stronger would be rolled-up trips. With this hand, your goal is to play against fewer opponents, preferably those who are also hoping to win the Hi pot. This hand can, however, also be played against opponents hoping to win the Lo pot, because it has the potential to end up being the best Lo hand as well.
Try to reduce the number of opponents in the pot, so that only one or two remain. You can make an exception in the following situation: if a Hi hand raises in front of you and there are no dangerous Lo cards behind you, you can simply call. This means three Lo cards on your end, whereas a re-raise might cause your opponent with a Hi hand to lose interest.
Category 2: Strong hands, generally playable
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This type of hand consists of three Lo cards (8 or lower, not including an ace) of the same suit that require two additional cards to make a flush. If two of the cards are connected, this hand also has the potential to turn into a straight or even a straight flush. The potential to take both the Lo and the Hi pot make this a good hand to play.
With this type of hand, you should try to push other Lo draws out of the pot. Be careful not to overplay this hand on the 3rd Street, though, because if you don't get help you will have to fold on the 4th Street (or on the 5th, at the latest), especially if you have dead outs.
This hand can also be played in a heads-up situation, although it is preferable to play it against several opponents.
Be careful if you see your flush outs show up in your opponents' hands: if two or more of your out cards are dead, your chances of making a flush drop significantly. You should only continue playing this hand if you are absolutely certain that you have the best Lo draw. You will be in a dangerous situation if you end up drawing for the second best Lo hand and could end up losing a lot.
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You can play this hand in the same manner, except that you will be watching out for the cards you need to complete a straight. This hand is even stronger if two of the cards are suited.
You will have to play this hand somewhat more cautiously, as more hands can beat a straight than a flush. Even if you end up with a straight you could easily lose to a better hand. Always keep an eye on your opponents' cards; if it looks like someone is playing a flush, you should simply fold. You should also fold this hand if your straight draw doesn't improve quickly, or if you suspect you are drawing to the second-best Lo hand.
If your cards aren't connected and you are on a gutshot draw, for example 3 4 6, you will have to be cautious. You need one of four outs for a straight, which means you are basically on a Lo hand. You should quickly give up the hand if you don't have the best chances of winning the Lo pot.
If one or more of your gutshot outs are dead and you don't have the best Lo hand on the board, you can fold such a hand directly on the 3rd Street. Be careful if you have two gaps, such as 3 5 7 or 3 4 7. This hand has little potential to turn into a Hi hand, and you can only play for the Lo pot, at best.
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Three Lo cards with an ace present a Lo draw, as well as potential for a Hi hand. A straight and/or flush draw increase the strength of this hand. Overall, this hand doesn't have the highest chances of winning the Hi pot, so pay close attention to the board when playing it.
This type of hand has to have good Lo potential to be played. Your best chances of winning the Hi pot with this hand rest on hitting another ace and having the best pair. This means you will have to give up the hand if you see dead aces, or if too many opponents are involved.
Be careful not to end up playing against better Hi or Lo hands. You should have either the best Hi or Lo hand: if it looks like an opponent has two pair or trips, or a better Lo draw, you will have to fold.
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For this type of hand, we are referring to high pairs, such as kings or queens. It is dangerous to play a hand that only has potential to be the best Hi hand, since there will probably be a Lo hand involved and you can win, at most, half of the pot. In the worst case scenario, the Lo hand will turn into a straight or flush and you will lose the entire pot. A player in this situation is said to be "free-rolling" and will often find himself left with few options.
A second worst case scenario is to end up holding the second-best Hi hand: this means you are basically drawing with half pot odds. Don't play high pairs if you see your opponents have overcards showing. In general, it is best to fold this hand and wait for a better situation before getting involved in a pot. If an opponent has an ace showing, he could be on a Lo draw, and if he ends up hitting another ace, he will have you beat for the Hi pot as well. He also has the advantage of knowing where he is with this hand, which makes it difficult to play KK against an open ace.
A high pair is somewhat stronger if your kicker card opens the door to a straight or flush draw. However, this doesn't increase your chances significantly. A weak kicker could open the door to a Lo hand, but the odds are very low, as you would need to hit four cards in a row to have a Lo hand. This would also mean that your Hi hand is a high pair at best. If, however, the low card is the one showing, your opponents may think you are on a Lo draw. This allows you to play your high pair deceptively and get action from weaker Hi hands.
This hand is good against one opponent (and better if he is playing a weaker Hi hand). If you are up against several opponents, you will have to pay attention to how their hands develop: if you see other Hi hands still getting involved, you will have you ask yourself why and if the opponent might have a better Hi hand.
Your play against several Lo hands will vary according to the situation and hand progression. If a raise on the 3rd Street will only push a few out of the pot, it may be better to call and wait for the 4th Street to begin playing aggressively, for example when several players are dealt a high card. If, however, several opponents are dealt low cards on the 4th Street and you don't have two pair or better, you will have to give up the hand.
With this type of hand, your main concern is whether or not you have the best Hi hand - you should ask yourself this question on each street. Keep in mind that a Lo hand can also turn into a strong Hi hand and be sure to pay attention to the board at all times.
A simple pair is usually not enough to win a Hi pot: you should only play high pairs when your outs are alive, otherwise it is better to fold, since chances are you will only have the second-best Hi hand at the showdown.
Category 3: Mediocre hands, sometimes playable
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This type of hand is rather weak in Stud Hi/Lo and should only be played under certain circumstances. Keep in mind: it isn't profitable to play a draw that can only win half of the pot! In order to play such a hand, you will need all of your out cards to be alive. Your hand should have the potential to turn into a flush or a straight (for example T J Q) or consist of two Lo cards (such as K 6 5).
Should you have such a hand with two Lo cards, it is better if one of them is showing, as this will not look like a draw for a Hi hand to your opponents. You can play this type of hand against other Hi hands as long as you are sure you have overcards.
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This type of hand consist of three Lo cards that are in no way connected to each other. Never play such a hand if you suspect someone may have a better Lo hand or in a heads-up situation. This type of hand is good against several Hi hands, as long as you are not required to invest heavily. Keep in mind that you can only play for the Lo half of the pot with this hand, as you have nearly no chance of making a straight or flush.
You can only play this type of hand against a raise if several Hi hands are involved in the pot; you should rarely raise with this hand. You may, however, raise to get other Lo hands to fold, so that you alone are playing a Lo hand against several Hi hands. You should only do this as long as your opponent(s) with a Lo hand do not have lower cards showing.
All in all, this hand is not nearly as strong as it may seem at first glance and you can end up losing a lot of money if you play it wrong. Remember, never play this type of hand against a better Lo hand or in a heads-up situation, but rather try to play this hand against as many Hi hands as possible.
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This type of hand is rarely playable and you will usually have to fold it. An exception is made when playing against an opponent with a high pair. In this case you should try to isolate him by getting all others to fold.
The basic idea is that your under pair with an over card is only a marginal underdog against a higher pair (40%:60%). The chance that you will end up making a Lo hand, however, offsets this disadvantage, which is why you can play the hand in this situation.
However, as soon as you feel you won't make a Lo hand or see dead outs, you will have to fold it.
This hand isn't bad against a higher pair, as long as you are not up against aces, in which case you will have nearly no chance of winning. If you are up against a pair of kings, though, you will have the chance to end up winning by hitting either an ace or trips. You might even end up with a Lo hand and scoop the entire pot.
You must pay close attention to your opponent's cards when playing this hand: if he pairs his door card or if you see a chance for a straight or flush on his end, you will have to fold your cards.
You can also play this hand against a Lo hand in a heads-up situation, especially if you have a lower card showing than your opponent. If you are dealt another Lo card on the 4th Street and your opponent receives a poor card, you will often be able to get your opponent to fold with a raise.
The same is true if your pair is higher than the cards you see in your opponent's hand. In this case, you should play as aggressively as possible and make him invest heavily into his Lo draw. Never give him the chance to take a free card, especially not if you are dealt better Lo cards on the 4th and/or 5th Street.
It is important to only play this kind of hand against a single opponent. As always in Stud8, you want to avoid playing against two opponents, who could each have a better Hi or Lo hand.
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This type of hand consists of a small pair (8s or lower) with a weak kicker. This hand is better if two of your cards are suited or connected. This type of hand isn't particularly strong and you should avoid playing against Hi hands. You can, however, play this hand in a heads-up situation against a Lo hand. In this case, you should play aggressively, and if your opponent is dealt poor cards on the 4th or 5th Street, you should play even more aggressively and try to get him to fold.
When should you raise? When should you call?
Raise with cards that are better in a heads-up situation, for example with a high pair. With a Lo hand in early position, it is best to limp in and see what happens after you. A good Lo draw with Hi potential (such as 345) has good chances of beating weaker Lo hands and mediocre Hi hands. Try to play this hand against as many opponents as possible without investing too heavily.
If you are first-in in late position (3 positions away from the Bring-in) you should raise any playable hand in order to give yourself the chance to take down the antes from the beginning.
It is best to just call a raise with a Lo hand, as you will probably have to give up the hand if you are not dealt another Lo card on the 4th Street. With a good Hi hand, you re-raise a raise from a Lo hand to try get all your other opponents to fold.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is no clear and precise strategy for playing the 3rd Street. In Stud8, your play will heavily depend on your position and the actions of your opponents, bugt also on the door cards your opponents are showing: if you see a low card, you may be up against a Lo draw, while a high card may indicate a strong Hi hand or a made high pair. With enough practice and experience, you will learn to make these reads.
With the categories and basic strategy we have covered, you now know the basics for playing 3rd Street. The next article will talk about playing on 4th Street: 
Click here for that article
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