Fullt Tilt Poker FIVE-CARD STUD

With the uncertainty of that one hidden card (hole card), five-card stud has its own mystique. It is, after all, the game that Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson played in The Cincinnati Kid. With tour cards showing, each player has a fairly solid basis upon which to judge the hands of his or her opponents. However, the hole card can make or break a hand and is often what the game and betting hinge on. To improve your chances of taking the pot, pay close attention to your opponents’ up cards, remember what cards have been folded, and assess your chances for improving your hand as the game goes along.

The poker game begins with the dealer giving each player one card facedown. The dealer then deals each player one up card. The full tilt poker player with the highest card showing starts the betting. The betting then moves clockwise around the table. Some open the betting the opposite way and have the online poker player with the lowest card open the betting in the first round. The dealer must decide who opens prior to dealing the cards. After the first round of betting is completed, the dealer deals another up card to each player. At this point, and for the remainder of the game, the player with the highest-ranking hand full tilt poker showing opens the betting, followed by the person on his left, and then moving clockwise around the poker table.

Once the second round of betting is finished, the dealer gives each remaining player another up card. At this point, all remaining players have three up cards and a hole card. Another round of betting commences, followed by the fourth and final up card Poker hands being dealt, followed by betting. After all players have placed their bets, everyone shows their full tilt poker cards with the highest hand taking the pot. In The Cincinnati Kid’s climactic scn. Lancq Howard’s [Edward 5. Robinson] straight flush beats the Kid’s [Steve McQueen] full house. It makes for great drama, but in reality, it would probablg never happen.

Tips & strategy

Five-card stud often rewards skill since smart players carefully watch what other players have and assess the chances of improving their hands. Also, try and remember what cards have been folded. (For more about assessing your chances for improving your hand, see page 91 on “outs.”)

• A key thing to remember jeux casino about full tilt poker five-card stud (and poker in general): Don’t be afraid to fold early, even after the first round, if you have mediocre cards. While it’s true that occasionally you will catch some good cards and improve your weak opening cards, in the long run, it’s better to play the percentages and fold early.

• There is a variety of opinions about what players should stay in the game after being dealt their first two cards. Conventionally, players will fold after the first two cards if they do not have a high pair, two high bonus cards, or an Ace or King high. If you have less than this, only stay in if the other up cards can’t beat you or the betting is light and it is worth staying in to get another card.

• If you are dealt a low pair (not to be confused with Omaha Low) with the first two cards, be wary of staying in the game too long, particularly if you do not get a three of a kind with the third card. Also, if another player has a high card showing and is betting aggressively, he might have a high pair.

• If you are dealt two suited cards and are thinking about chasing a flush, proceed with caution. Going for a flush in five- card stud is risky even after having three or four suited cards. It is particularly dangerous if your suited cards are low. If one of the cards is high, you still have a full tilt poker chance of at least getting a high pair. If you try for the flush, you must pay attention to whether any of the up full tilt poker cards in your opponents’ hands are of the same suit, which would reduce your chance of completing the flush.

• If the cards you need to improve your hand are visible in your opponents’ hands, they are “dead” to you. When you are trying to complete a straight, look around the table to see if another player is holding cards you could use; if they are, your chances are greatly poker reduced. For instance, if after the first three cards you have J-1O-9, and you notice that two opponents are showing 8s and another has a Queen, your chances of filling that straight are in jeopardy. In five-card stud, it is crucial to continually assess and reassess your chances of improving your hand.

• You can also get a sense of whether your holdem opponents’ hands can be improved by looking at their up cards. For instance, if you have three 2s (two showing and one in the hole) and an full tilt poker opponent is showing two Aces, look around the table and see if any other Aces are exposed. If other Aces are exposed, your probability of winning is greater.

• Don’t be self-centered. While you might stay in the hopes of trying to improve your hand, remember your opponents are doing the same thing- take special note of this poker tip. For instance, let’s say an opponent’s up card is a King and you have a 7 as your up card and a 10 in the hole. If you stay in with the hopes of getting a pair, keep in mind that your opponent has the same odds of pairing his King. If your opponent begins raising or stepping up his betting in later rounds, he might have gotten that pair, so proceed cautiously. In stud games, always keep an eye on the other cards on the table. Knowing what is on the table allows you to reassess the odds. Using our example from above, if two other players are also dealt a King, the chances of anyone getting a pair of Kings are dramatically reduced.

• Don’t play a hand that you know is lower than your casino opponents’ hand. If the up cards in an opponent’s hand are better than yours, fold, even if you are holding a pair or better. You might get lucky and improve your hand enough to win, but as the expression goes, don’t bet on it.

• In most mestud gas, the betting gets stiffer as you get into the later rounds. If you are still in by the third round, you must consider whether the amount of the pot is large enough to warrant staying in with an uncertain hand. One way to think about this is that by placing a bet you are essentially “buying” another card. So, if your poker opponent makes a bet, you must assess whether it is worth calling his bet to get another card in the hopes of improving your hand. Again, this should only be done after weighing the various factors, such as what your opponents are showing and whether the cards you need are still “live.”

• Use your hole full tilt poker card to your advantage. In general having a “split” pair is better than having an exposed poker pair. For instance, if you have an Ace in the hole (now you know where the expression comes from) and one showing, you are at a distinct advantage compared to having both Aces showing. Your opponents will be left to guess whether your high betting means you’ve got an Ace hidden or you’re full tilt poker bluffing.

• In general, if you’ve got a “cinch” hand by the final round (though remember nothing is 100 percent certain), bet aggressively.