First of all, let me preface this by saying that I am writing a general strategy suited for 7-card stud games with novice or intermediate players. In tough games, with a bunch of more seasoned experienced players your strategy will vary – based on your read of their hands and your read of how they read yours. But for now, when you are in games with relatively unskilled opponents, you need a more straightforward mechanical style of play.

Let’s take the low or medium pair hand that improves by catching a third card of the paired rank. A pair of 7s for example that becomes Trip 7s. This can happen in two ways: either a wired pair or a split pair can become Trips. The wired pair is simpler. Let’s look at it first.

If your wired pair makes trips then your opponent will not know it. He’ll see an unpaired up card. In those instances there’s really no choice. Bet and raise aggressively – trying to get as much money in the pot as possible. Though your more observant opponents may suspect that you made some kind of a hand, few if any will have the combination of good hand reading and discipline to fold their hands if they caught anything worthwhile. Make them pay for calling by betting and raising if someone else bets.

The more interesting situation is when you pair your other upcard, having started with a split pair. This is more interesting for a couple of reasons. The first is that you have a choice in which bet to make. In limit stud, typically, when there is an exposed pair on Fourth Street you can bet or raise either the lower bet or the higher bet. If the game is $10/20 for example you can either bet $10 or $20 on Fourth Street with an exposed pair.

Some players like to try to lure callers by betting the lower tier bet. Suckers, they reason, can’t resist a bargain. I generally discourage this strategy. For one, against even mildly sophisticated opponents it’s apt to make players more suspicious, as the standard bet is the higher tier bet. “Why is he betting the lower tier” they tend to ask. “He must be loaded,” they conclude. On the other hand, your double size bet will either not be noticed by the poor players or be seen as a typical wager for someone who just made a pair or two pair by others.

Your double sized bet accomplishes something else. Players who call you will be more likely to call you on future streets, concluding wrongly that they are now committed to the hand and need to call you down to the River. The more money they put in the pot this early, the more committed they feel. And while there is some justification for calling more frequently when the pot is larger, these players do this far too frequently. By betting the double amount you increase the size of the pot on Fourth Street. But you also greatly increase the eventual size of the pot you expect to win – by hooking these losers into the pot with its now larger size.

But let’s say your card doesn’t give you trips. While there are deceptive moves that I’ll cover in future articles, if I am against either a lone loose opponent or a field of two players or more, I prefer the straightforward one of simply checking most of the time, even if you pair your door card. Your small two pair is unlikely to hold up unimproved in a multi-way race. And, unless you’re playing against particularly tight players, your bet is unlikely to scare them away. That being said, if you have a lone opponent who is at least fairly tight, if you pair your door card making two pair you can make a bluff at the pot with a double sized bet. Don’t attempt this though if you started with a split pair – as very few if any opponents will fold for the bet since there is no indication that this fourth card gave you a strong hand.

Sometimes you start on Third Street with a low pair and a high kicker like an Ace or a King. While I’ve covered the situation where you make trips, what if you pair your high kicker? If that’s the case, whether the high card is hidden or exposed, I bet and raise aggressively. While Aces up or Kings up is a strong hand, it’s not strong enough to play slowly – letting opponents get another card cheaply or for free. So it makes sense to make them pay to see another card or fold.

Finally, the most typical occurrence when you start with a low pair on Third Street is that you won’t improve on Fourth Street. While it’s tempting to continue to play your hand – trying to win even though you’re weak, I do not recommend it. The key to winning poker is to save money when you are behind. So if your low pair doesn’t improve on Fourth Street, now is the time to fold to any bet. Of course you can check along if no one else bets, getting a free card if possible. But if an opponent bets into you, don’t get tricky or cute. Just fold and wait for a better opportunity in the future. I include those times when you make a 3-Straight or 3-Flush on your fourth card. True, it has a slightly better future than a low pair with no Straight or Flush possibilities. But, generally speaking, it’s still not worth calling. So fold it and save your money for another hand.

Ashley Adams has been playing poker since 1961 when he learned it literally at his grandfather's knee. He started playing seriously in 1993 when Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut opened their poker room. He can usually be found there at the $20/40 stud or the $2/5 no limit hold 'em table.

Ashley also runs charity poker tournaments, teaches poker privately and at the Boston Center for Adult Education, is a frequent guest on radio and television programs (having appeared on WBZ-AM, WHDH Channel 7 TV, WGBH-TV, NECN-TV), and has a regular radio show that can be heard 24/7 on www.houseofcardsradio.com.