How to Spruse up your game of 5 Card Stud
Playing starting hands
As with all poker games, the most important decision to be made is whether or not to play a starting hand. When deciding whether to play a hand or not there are a few things worth considering, firstly the cards you have been dealt and secondly the cards your opponents have been dealt, in particular the face-up card. If the cards that you need to complete your hand have already been dealt to your opponents it may be worth folding. Sometimes, what is a good starting hand in one game may not be so good in another. If you are dealt two jacks and none of your opponents have jacks or a higher card then it is a good hand, however, if your opponents have a jack or higher then your hand is not so valuable. For this reason it is essential to keep track of your opponent’s cards.
The advice above leads to the conclusion that the best starting hand is a pair of aces. Of course a pair of kings, queens or jacks is also a good start. If you start with a hand that you are confident with it can be worthwhile to start betting, this ensures money gets into the pot and forces players with weak hands to fold. The fewer players in the game, the smaller the chance of a player drawing a card that will beat you. If at any point in the game you think you have lost then fold, it is a waste of money to call bets just to stay in the game.
Trying to achieve a flush or a straight with draws is often very difficult as you will only be dealt five cards; this is only advisable if you are only calling a single bet on each round. It is a safer option to play for a high flush or straight as then there is the chance of getting a high pair if you do not achieve the desired hand.
At the end of each round you should try and work out what all the other players have. You can do this by being aware of what they have dealt and their betting strategy, are they betting, raising or calling. This will also ensure that if a card you need has been dealt you are aware of it. Once the final card has been dealt you should work out what your opponent has in relation to your own hand. Examine their face-up cards to see what the best possible hand they could have is. Once again, if you think you will lose the hand then fold, if not then you can call the final bet, this is definitely worth doing if there is only one other player left in the game. At that point you will only be risking one bet to win the entire pot.
