Stud Door Cards

Stud games are unique in that you and the other players at the table have your own individual hands and parts of the hands are visible to the other players.  You start the hand with two cards down and one card up, the up card is called the door card.  The next three cards come face up and the last card is face down.  You can gather a lot of information about a players hand from their up cards.  Up cards can also be used to bluff.  In seven card stud it is very common for the largest card showing to complete the betting or raise.  It is important to get a feel for what players are simply raising with big door cards and what players are doing it with a real hand.  If I am in late position with and the player before me raises with  showing I will often 3-bet and continue firing since they usually do not have that pair of aces they are representing.  You want to know your player a bit before making that play but it will be fairly easy to figure out if they really have it if they check raise on a later street. 

Up cards are just as critical in razz.  Usually the late position player with the smallest card completes the betting.  Just like in seven card stud you need to figure out which players are simply representing hands based on their door card.  I like to 3 bet a lot in razz before 4th street.  It is ideal to play hands heads up.  If I’m last to act and the player before me completes with a showing and I have with the hidden I will 3-bet.  is not the best starting hand but since the is hidden I can represent a strong hand against the person who is very likely to have raised with nothing other than a great door card.

Stud games are a lot of fun and can be quite enjoyable when you get tired of playing no-limit holdem all the time.  It is good to mix it up and keep poker fresh and fun.  There is obviously a lot more to the games then what I have mentioned but keep those door cards in mind and use them to bluff at times and realize when other players are the ones bluffing with them.