7-Card Stud: Playing A Rolled Up Trips

  There are times when the planets align just right and the poker Gods give you something rare and beautiful as your hole cards. In the game of 7 Card Stud this would be when you get three-of-a-kind as the first three cards that are dealt to you. Not only is this special because of the power behind these cards, but also because of how rare it is that this actually happens. Traditionally, only once in every 425 hands will this happen to you. So now that you have a hand that is easily the best hand at the table, what do you do with your three-of-a-kind?  What you do will depend very heavily on the sort of game you are currently playing. If you are involved in a loose game, slow playing is not what you want to do. Chances are your opponents will look at your upcard, and the most they will guess you have is a pair. If the upcard is high enough, it may give them some sort of pause, but in general they will call your raises in a loose game.  You will only want to slow play this hand if you want to keep it anonymous. In a tight game, raising will make other players suspicious about what is your hand. Most players in a tight game take the He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day approach to the game. If you play aggressively, it may spook the herd and you will get no action on your strong hand. In this circumstance, you would slow play until Fifth or Sixth street, and than you can put the pedal to the metal and raise away. Chances are the other players will be to emotionally and financially committed to the pot to back off.