Back in time (7 card stud)

[bennythedip2]

The Good Old Days
True Story of "7 Card Stud" ~

Riding on the L and N ..??
What's that got to do with poker, and what does it mean, your already thinking !!
Nothing really, but for me to explain what this game means , i have to go back to the mid-eighties when i first started playing in tournaments ..
I already new the basics of the game and was pretty good in local cash games playing 'half-pot' , '7 card stud' ..

I had a long way back been good friends with a guy from Slough, his name was 'Rod Bolland' .
We used to go horse racing together at Windsor and Goodwood and together we got involved in some pretty juicy cash games back then .
It was after a late Saturday night/early morning poker session, and having breakfast at midday Sunday, that we decide to give the old Luton Grosvenor Casino a spin, that Sunday afternoon . (Degenerates even back then) .. ( '',)

We had intended to just go to play 'blackjack' and have a day out, but like so many things, it was the start of a new adventure, when we found the 'Pot Limit' '7 card stud' tournament game ..
This was the beginning of a ten year era that was to go on until his untimely death in 2004 ~

The track, "Riding on the L an N" was made by John Mayall's blues breakers but we liked the version by 'Nine Below Zero', and that was the song we'd always sing as we travelled up the motorway 'M1' to Luton & North (L an N) to play poker ~
You had to be there but, we would sing along for miles, singing this every trip on the way to play in the tournaments ~
Occasionally another friend "Dave 'Sugar' Barlow" (from Brighton) would come along , us three, all singing http://youtu.be/48qoJ7qsS5k ~
(nutters , yes , but we had great times )

So how do you play "7 card Stud" your thinking ??
Well, obviously the 'online game' is different, in so much as most online games are played as 'Limit' and not 'Pot' games, but in a lot of ways the game is the same ~

To start with, what starting hands, and were talking 'cash' rather than tournament, it's easier to explain 'cash games' better to people who want to learn more about the game ...

Starting hands~ OK, lets also begin and say that cards are dealt to each player individually and each deal of the cards is followed by a betting round and then another card to each player.
Each deal is called a 'street', this being that the first two cards are dealt 'dark' and the third card 'up' .. That card to all players is called, (remember this it's important as to how your analyzing later what your opponent has) That card is called, the 'hole card' !!
And this is also, to all players known as 'third street'. The start of the betting rounds where, these days it's the lowest card exposed from all players that brings the betting in !!
(It's not always been the way, in some live games, it's the high card that brings in the betting but that's another story ~ Not online and not today )

So, whats a good starting hand ?
Well pretty much the same as in holdem, 'high pairs', 'low pairs' with a big 'kicker' or three high cards suited, also don't forget were starting with three cards, two 'dark' to us, (that only we know) and 'one up' for all players to see, and were looking to get dealt 'seven cards' if were going to play all 'seven streets' of betting , or pass somewhere along the way as the betting goes on !!
So it's important to start with a good foundation of a hand if your to continue along all the betting 'streets' ..

Sorry i digress from the story
Anyways it was also at Luton where i met good friend Steve (talksportforums) and another mate 'chuffty' Richard Ashby ...

Steve and i have often gone back to Luton, but since they closed the old G Casino and reopened a new one nearer the airport, the atmosphere is not the same as back in the day..

Those day back in the 90's as me Rod and another old pal Dave'Sugar'Barlow drove home the song would be "The Gambler" Muppet's !!
http://youtu.be/kNnrTNFWcsg
On most evenings we would win something, sometimes small, sometimes big when one of us would take down a tournament ~

It was a living back then, before the internet , but we did have fun all the way !!

~~ ( '',) Bazza

[Tony2005]

You cant beat the good old days Barry.....

[bennythedip2]

Ladbrokes are running the best game on the Internet just now

That game i mentioned here before . £250 gtd ( 7 card stud No Limit)
Usually gets between 20 and 30 players .. £10 re-buy, always makes the guarantee .. ..
Plays more like pot limit with the occasional no limit 'all-in. bet, but mainly from the short stack nearing the end ..
However there are one or two lunatics but that's fine ..

Tonight finished 3rd again for £88 (played 5 ... won 1, twice 3rd)

The game of the Future !!

[bennythedip2]

Played this game again last night, and guess who turned up on the final table and not only me, but also our good friend here taylormade' ..
Also, there was another old friend from 'the good old days' at Luton, 'Rocket Ronnie' (Steve knows him as well) playing as alias 'Tottingham' ..

I am already thinking this is the best game on the Internet, but it just gets better when you are playing with some real 'old buddies' ..

Taylormade was unlucky in his exit (5th or 6th) to a guy who called his big bet with a flush draw and hit on '7th street' ..
Unlucky Andy, good game the chat was fun, I wont tell 'tiredeyes' about your prediction that you'll win today at footy and go above the 'mackems' !!

Well the long and short of it was, that yes i cashed in 3rd place and 'Ronnie' got 2nd place ...

This game , played every night starting at 7 45, gets between 20 and 30 runners and usually finishes, between 10 30 and 10 45 ..
So for me not only do i get to play my favourite game, the time factor is perfect, a maximum of 3 hours ..
Always makes it's guarantee of e250 and only top 3 get paid, none of this paying down to silly places ..
Reality is, it's the best value tourney for return on outlay e10 entry, yes there are rebuys and add-on, but the game plays very well, good players without too many 'lunatics'..
The game is "7 card stud NL" ..
The game of the future !!

[Dobie2089]

Ive only played 7 card stud , a handful of times over the years ...but couldnt sleep last night so decided to give the $2 limit one a go on ipoker...joined late with 10 mins of late reg left ..finished a couple of hrs later in 5th for a "huge" $9.60..anyway thats besides the point , i really enjoyed it ..noone was going mad , and it def makes a change from plo or holdem ...not sure id want to play a rebuy or a no limit version though

[bennythedip2]

Well done Dobie,
Yes well for sure there's a different mind set to the 3 variations (Limit, Pot and No Limit)
But the basic principles are the same, in that during the early stages you need to play tight and 'position' is even more vital, in that it's the low card on the first round of betting card 3, (1st up card) that opens the betting and not the first player on the left of the dealer as in Omaha and Holdem ..

Also the key is, watching the game and the cards as they are dealt, remembering the numbers and suits of pass cards from players who have left the hand as the 'streets' are dealt 4th, 5th and 6th street ..
All this helps to asses what your opponent could have or not, and also what possibles and percentages of what your own river card has ..
That is to say, making sure your not drawing dead , or to a hand that can't win ..
Good luck mate and enjoy the game

[Dobie2089]

Just noticed a $5 dollar limit one starting on ipoker at 7.35 (60 min late reg) , only 8 of us in so far ...so will see how it goes

update : played horribly in that , played horribly in Bennys little tourney ..now going for the hattrick and playing horribly, in a plo tourney

[bennythedip2]

Well this is becoming a bit of a forum game
first 'taylormade enters the other night, then Dobie the next night and now taylormade is back again
Me .. ? I'm out already ..

glk andy

[taylormade]

I got bored and im only allowed one buy-in or add-on and I needed to see 7th street with my pocket 2's,