Every time each player on a table plays a hand at 7 card stud they will post an ante that goes into the middle. The ante is paid in stud regardless of whether they call or fold their hand pre-flop. In stud, players try to steal the antes when they raise preflop with the intention to force the other players out of the hand.

The Math

When a 7 card stud table is full, a player is getting 4 to 3 odds on his ante steal. Translated this means that if an ante steal is going to be immediately profitable, the 7 card stud player should win the pot and take down the antes around 40% of the time. This in fact is untrue since if a player calls they are still able to take down pots later on in the hand. Therefore, the real profitable percentage is below 40%.

For instance, if a 7 card stud player raises with a king, is called, and then catches a king on fourth street – which lets them take the pot down after the steal attempt. This happens 6% of the time and it allows the ante-stealing player to take down an additional bet for their troubles.

The above is an example where a stud player at PokerStars can gain equity on their ante steals by having a strong hand. So if a player had an ace and a king in his hand that is not on show, his chance of catching one on fourth street rises to 12%. Given the poker player’s hand if he catches an ace or a king on fourth street, it would be a mistake for his opponent to call a bet if the opponent does not improve. This of course is the advantage a player gets from having his cards hidden and allows him to extract value out of the information that his opponent does not know.

Bluff Ante Stealing

This asymmetric information can be used to a player’s advantage. Even if a seven-card stud player does not hold an ace of a king in his hand, he can represent it if he catches one on fourth street. Catching a scare card on fourth street will most likely scare opponents off holding a low pair, which means that a player can take the pot down a good percentage of the time on fourth street if they catch an ace, king or queen and their opponent has a small pair.

The general rule when stealing antes on PartyPoker should be that a player should raise with any sort of hand that has over a 30% chance of stealing the antes on third street in a tight game. These types of hands are usually any high card showing with two decent cards behind. If the game is loose though, the stealing hand range needs to be better in order to be profitable, as the dynamics of an ante steal change.

When a poker player makes a hand, it is important that they extract maximum value from the hand. A poker player needs to get as much money as possible out of their made hands. This does not mean a player should move all-in the moment they make their hand, however. Instead, a poker player needs to determine the best method to get the pot as big as possible without setting off the subconscious alarms in other players’ heads.

Whether flopping a set or completing a greasy FullTiltPoker.com straight on the flop, the objective is for the player to extract the most chips from his opponents as he possibly can. The focus of the game is to turn the small pot into a huge pot. This task is far easier if the pot has started to brew preflop, as the pot size is larger and more than one person has shown interest in the pot by either raising or calling a raise. The larger the pot is before the flop, the easier it is to make bigger bets without causing dire concern out of your opposition.

When flopping a set, a player needs to consider how many opponents they are playing against, as well as how aggressive their opponents are before deciding when and if to bet. If the poker players are passive in nature, they are less inclined to bet but more likely to call. Thus, a poker player will be well served betting three-quarters of the pot or making a pot sized bet on the flop. If the players are more aggressive in nature, it might be wise to check from early position, as these players are likely to bet the flop. However, if playing from late position, it rarely makes sense to check a made hand on the flop, as it is far more difficult to build a massive pot over two streets than it is over three streets. Thus, a player needs to ensure that the flop is going to result in a bet of some sort.

While the FullTilt player must make sure the flop is bet, it is important to size the bet so that it is big enough to begin pot building, but not so big that the player will chase everyone out of the pot. This is why a poker player who has flopped a monster should make a bet that is almost pot sized or pot sized. A bet of this size does not appear suspicious and will still bring value to the pot as each player calls. Once you or the opposing player reaches the point where the pot is too big to get away from, it is correct to move all-in, thus springing the trap.