Live .50/.50 - Attractive Hero rolls his own. (2 Viewers)

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Hey party people. Less live tells than usual, but still the ignorant, feelings-based analysis that my posts are known for. All opinions and strats welcome.


I play in a very splashy soft dealer's choice home game, really love hanging out with the players and the poker is fun. Dealer's choice, 5-card draw, 7-card stud (standard or roll your own), 5-card stud, NLHE. No Omaha, Chicago, or God forbid anything with a split pot. Its a relaxed group with lots of beer and weed and they're a crew who are all comfortable with eachother, they've played together a lot and formed their own little meta. For context, Hero's image is a very solid player that plays loose, I VPIP almost every hand to the draw/5th street/flop at the least, and have done very well every time I've played. All games are no-limit so I can usually push people off hands or trap them when needed, fun game.


My question is about rolling your own down card in 7-card stud. For those that haven't played, 7-card stud is usually dealt with 2 down cards then 1 up card for everyone, but this is a variant where everyone receives 3 down and chooses which to show, then betting and dealing resumes normally. When I've played elsewhere, everyone either has to reveal them all at once OR they're revealed in betting order. Either one works for me, but at this game they're flipped at random. Some players clearly don't look around while others do and wait until its optimal to pick/show their card. I'm new so I don't want to risk looking like I'm taking advantage and usually am one of the first to show, but its noticable that others are checking out the board first.

SO: what are your thoughts on what to reveal? I'll ask my questions then give my current thoughts.

1. What is your thought process when showing?

2. Does your choice differ if its low card bring-in or high card bring-in? What if its just ante with no bringin? For context, we play high card bets and there's no mandatory bring, just 50c ante from all.

Just curious of opinions and strategies. Most of the gentlemen choose to show low cards, preferring to give the betting lead to someone else. This may seem like a positional advantage but they're also easily pushed off most hands, so the power of position doesn't work in their favor when a bet or two does the trick and denies so much equity in a no-limit game. My first instincts were to show an Ace if I had one to start the betting and continue the aggression if I pair a down card or catch another high card. I'm not sure if I'm leaving money on the table by not hiding the Ace but I've had good results with my commanding lead strategy, its not like limit where I need a check-raise to build a pot where I want it to be. For most of these players bets are static amounts. not relative percentages of the pot.

3. Would your strategy be the same with my aggressive image in a loose passive game?

Thanks for any thoughts, I haven't thought about this part of my game before and I want to analyze whether I'm adjusting to the table (classic loose when they're tight, etc.) or if this is the better strategy and they're just following eachother. Most of them show below a 6 if they have it, its not uncommon for an 8 or 9 to start the betting for 6 players.

 

[MrCatPants]

Hey party people. Less live tells than usual, but still the ignorant, feelings-based analysis that my posts are known for. All opinions and strats welcome.


I play in a very splashy soft dealer's choice home game, really love hanging out with the players and the poker is fun. Dealer's choice, 5-card draw, 7-card stud (standard or roll your own), 5-card stud, NLHE. No Omaha, Chicago, or God forbid anything with a split pot. Its a relaxed group with lots of beer and weed and they're a crew who are all comfortable with eachother, they've played together a lot and formed their own little meta. For context, Hero's image is a very solid player that plays loose, I VPIP almost every hand to the draw/5th street/flop at the least, and have done very well every time I've played. All games are no-limit so I can usually push people off hands or trap them when needed, fun game.


My question is about rolling your own down card in 7-card stud. For those that haven't played, 7-card stud is usually dealt with 2 down cards then 1 up card for everyone, but this is a variant where everyone receives 3 down and chooses which to show, then betting and dealing resumes normally. When I've played elsewhere, everyone either has to reveal them all at once OR they're revealed in betting order. Either one works for me, but at this game they're flipped at random. Some players clearly don't look around while others do and wait until its optimal to pick/show their card. I'm new so I don't want to risk looking like I'm taking advantage and usually am one of the first to show, but its noticable that others are checking out the board first.

SO: what are your thoughts on what to reveal? I'll ask my questions then give my current thoughts.

1. What is your thought process when showing?

2. Does your choice differ if its low card bring-in or high card bring-in? What if its just ante with no bringin? For context, we play high card bets and there's no mandatory bring, just 50c ante from all.

Just curious of opinions and strategies. Most of the gentlemen choose to show low cards, preferring to give the betting lead to someone else. This may seem like a positional advantage but they're also easily pushed off most hands, so the power of position doesn't work in their favor when a bet or two does the trick and denies so much equity in a no-limit game. My first instincts were to show an Ace if I had one to start the betting and continue the aggression if I pair a down card or catch another high card. I'm not sure if I'm leaving money on the table by not hiding the Ace but I've had good results with my commanding lead strategy, its not like limit where I need a check-raise to build a pot where I want it to be. For most of these players bets are static amounts. not relative percentages of the pot.

3. Would your strategy be the same with my aggressive image in a loose passive game?

Thanks for any thoughts, I haven't thought about this part of my game before and I want to analyze whether I'm adjusting to the table (classic loose when they're tight, etc.) or if this is the better strategy and they're just following eachother. Most of them show below a 6 if they have it, its not uncommon for an 8 or 9 to start the betting for 6 players.

View attachment 1422634

In betting order, move the button after the hand. Rolling last is an advantage.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

In betting order, move the button after the hand. Rolling last is an advantage.

Makes sense, but how would you use that advantage? My instincts is that its helpful to see what others are rolling, but don't know how to think about it past that.

We see an Ace of Spades roll directly to our right, what does that mean for you? Same question, we're last to act and current high card is to our left, what other information are we responding to?

Thanks in advance, I know this is a niche.

 

[MrCatPants]

Makes sense, but how would you use that advantage? My instincts is that its helpful to see what others are rolling, but don't know how to think about it past that.

We see an Ace of Spades roll directly to our right, what does that mean for you? Same question, we're last to act and current high card is to our left, what other information are we responding to?

Thanks in advance, I know this is a niche.

Nuanced - it's minor but it's there

If you have an ace you might roll it first early, but if two aces have already been rolled you might tuck it as people will discount that you have an ace in your down cards (if playing a hi-low game). If you have a powerful hand you want to be able to raise so again, would make it so you don't have to open.

If you have three babies but two flush cards, you might tuck your two flush cards as long as your rolled card doesn't cause you to open betting. However, if it would you might roll one of your flush cards instead which is less disguised.

e.g. I might want to roll a 4 because it allows me to have say pocket 9s in the hole, but if im last to roll and it's clear the 4 would make me open betting i might roll a 9 instead.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

@MrCatPants hmmm okay. High card opens the betting for us but this is all good information, trying to game out the general strategy before I start goofing around. In a weak passive game I've had success rolling a high card and keeping the betting line, betting decently small even without pairing and dragging the pot on 4th or 5th. I would love to see how I would have to adjust in a real game.

Obviously position matters but if I ever see a check-raise in this game its the nuts, dont have to worry about hidden bluffs much.