Unfortunately, it is never as simple as always betting or raising with the best hand, calling with the draw, and folding the trash hands.  Poker is a game of math, people, and money, meaning you must constantly adjust your game based on the ante, the limits and your opponents’ playing styles.  When you start out with a big pair, before you simply complete the bring-in or bet on Fourth Street, mentally play out the hand in your head, and ask yourself how the other players will respond to your actions.  Remember, you act to bring about a result.  If that result won’t follow, you need to make adjustments.  Because 7-card stud is a limit game, it becomes imperative to protect good starting hands by narrowing the field or getting heads-up.  Especially in low-stakes games, a simple completion of the bring-in or bet on Fourth Street may not be enough to protect your hand.

Tight or loose?  In tight games, a completion with a premium pair or a large bet in a spread-limit game will very often win you the pot on Third Street, or it will vastly narrow the field, which is exactly what you want to have happen.  In these situations, when you have a big pair, by all means complete the bet and bet again on Fourth Street when it looks like other players have not improved or you think you can get heads-up.

In loose games, however, you have to be more creative.  If it looks like a completion of the bring-in will not eliminate any players, you are better served by

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Position.  Normally it is best to be last to act, as you know how the other players will have acted on previous betting rounds.  On Third Street with a big pair, however, early position is more beneficial.  Why?  Because in late position, once many people have limped, they surely are not going to fold if you complete the action when they already have money in the pot.  (Note: YOU should never think this way, making a call based simply on the fact you have put money in the pot, but many of your opponents will think this way.)  In early position when you raise, other players yet to act now have to call a full small bet, which even loose players will be reluctant to do.  This is not to say you should never raise from late position with a big pair.  If the field is already small, a raise is just fine.  Even if the limpers call, you are a favorite over them.  But in situations where many players have already limped, you are better served by just calling, as your hand will not be able to be protected and you are a much smaller favorite than when the field is small.

Re-raising.  Re-raising a completed small bet on Third Street is one of the most effective means of getting heads-up, or getting a much smaller field.  The easiest move is when you have a big pair in the hole, such as Kings, and a player with a smaller door card has completed.  You re-raise, get heads-up, and unless this player knows you well, he or she will call you with the lower pair as your hand is hidden.

But what about when you are facing a situation where a big card has completed the action, and you hold a smaller larger pair?  Calling is out of the question, as this will not narrow the field.  Folding is an option if you know your opponent extremely well, but how about a re-raise?  If the bigger card raises you back, you can get away from your hand.  However, he or she may be trying to steal the antes.  Make your decision based on your observations of what the player has done on previous betting rounds on Third Street.  Also, pay attention to that kicker.  If you have a kicker larger than the card that raised to go along with your big pair, by all means re-raise.  You will also likely have position on the big card as well on Fourth Street, so they will have to bet into you now.

Fourth Street.  Fourth Street can be extremely frustrating in stud, especially at low limits.  This is because players who have called on Third Street very often will not fold until Fifth Street, when the limits go up.  Solid players or players who have caught a completely worthless card will fold, but very often a bet on your part if no one has bet yet will be followed by four or five calls, as you have to sweat out Fifth Street.

Again, when it looks like a bet will narrow the field, by all means bet.  Assuming you raised on Third Street and are first to act, look at what your opponents’ exposed cards are.  If it looks like they have completely missed, such as when they hold two small, unsuited, or out-of-sequence cards, go ahead and bet.  But if they hold larger cards, are very loose, or the field is quite large, you have to get creative, meaning a check-raise might be in order.

The check-raise is a valuable weapon, and is especially useful when you have not raised on Third Street or when an aggressive player will be acting after you.  When you have a loose, wild player at the table, very often people will check to him, fearing a quick raise if they bet.  You can exploit this by checking, waiting for the player to bet, and then raising.  The value of this move is that it virtually announces your hand, telling players who may be thinking of sucking you out with more marginal hands to back off or pay big to chase.  This is also a good move when you put a player on a four-flush or four-straight, knowing they will bet their hand on the come.  Flush and straight draws prefer large fields.  If you are heads-up against the draw, they are getting much less value on their hands than they would if they could get more money in the pot.

The key with the check-raise, besides narrowing the field, is you of course need to have someone bet.  This is why when it appears that Fourth Street has brought help to no one, the safe play is to bet.  This is also the case when the field is small already, or when you are in a tight game.  Check-raising works best in loose games that have an aggressive player or two.

If someone has bet by the time the action gets to you, you

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