Raise the Stakes Poker

This is one sight that I never, ever thought that I would see.  While poker is definitely a serious game, Paris Hilton is not a serious person.  She is all about partying and having fun and poker is not all that fun … unless you are winning and heck, in this game she might be winning.

Poker is not just something that you play with your buddies anymore, it is actually a game that celebrities have taken to quite well and Paris is just one of the many celebrities that have been caught playing poker.

So Paris, do you want to give us some tips and tricks that you might have used when you are playing?  Come on, you can share – right?

Now, as in pretty much every other poker game, although it may be called by a different name, you begin 7 Card Stud by paying up the ante. In other words, the players put a set amount into the pot. 7 Card Stud has six stages. They are called: third street; fourth street; fifth street; sixth street; the river; and, finally, the showdown. Following the ante, every player receives two cards face down, known as the hole cards, and one card face up. This is the third street.

Whichever player has the highest face up card starts the betting. He or she either checks or bets. Following that move, the rest of the players either call, raise, or fold. After this, the fourth, fifth, and sixth streets follow, which each player being dealt one more face up card for each street.

The river is marked by the seventh card, and it is face down as well. After it is dealt, the last betting round occurs, making for the showdown.

7 Card Stud is a much loved variation of poker. The problem is that it is also notoriously popular in movies and television shows, and that is where a lot of people “learn” how to play it. Needless to say, the lessons there are not entirely correct, so hopefully the next couple of posts will be able to clear up some things.

First of all, knowing how to play 7 Card Stud makes a great basis for learning other variations of poker, like Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha. The ranking order for hands and cards is the same as it is in most other versions of poker.

A Royal Flush, for example, is the highest hand you can get, followed by: a Straight Flush; four of a kind; a Full House; a Flush; a Straight; three of a kind; two pair; one pair; and a high card. It is harder to be dealt a high hand in this version, because there aren’t any community cards.

Even novice poker players know how very important it is to get information from your opponents. Thus, it probably comes as no surprise to know that you can use raising and betting as a means to get that information. You can learn a lot about your fellow players when you bet.

Just say you are going heads up against an opponent. In that case, betting at any of the flops may interest you, because his will cause your opponent to do one of two things, most likely: he or she will either bluff out right or will have to call — if, of course, he or she has the kind of hand to make it worthwhile. When you do this, there is an excellent chance that you will be able to take the pot right then and there.

This can be an excellent strategy, especially with tight players. However, while it should be a weapon in your arsenal, do not use it all the time. The other players will be paying attention as well, and may begin to doubt you, to think that you never have a good hand.