7-Card Stud: Playing A Three Flushes

  If you have three cards of the same suit, this is called a three-flush. Sometimes this sort of hand is playable, other times it is not. The way you play these three cards will depend on a few factors.  First of all, how high are those cards. There is no guarantee that your three-flush is the only one that exists in the hand, and if yours cards are fairly low, there is the real possibility you can be beaten.  Also, how many of the cards that are needed to finish off your flush are still sitting in the deck? If many of the cards you need are visible as part of your opponents hands, than they are out of play and cannot help you.What is your upcard? If the card your opponents see is powerful enough, you can run a rather good bluff by representing strength you may not have.  Finally, what is your position at the table? Position is always important. In this case you will want to be in the late position so that you can see act after everyone else. This will give some insight into what your opponents are holding.  These factors greatly affect the way this type of hand should be played. There are three-flushes that play better heads-up while others play better in multi-way pots. If all your flush cards are live but none of your pair cards are, then the hand will be played better in multi-way pots. The reason for this is that you will probably need to hit your flush in order to win the pot. This will not happen less frequently than winning by pairing. If your going to take this sort of risk, you want to ensure the pot is big enough when you hit the flush to make up for those times in the past when you didnt.  If you dont see any of your flush cards on the table as your opponents upcards, that means that all your flush cards are (presumably) still live. Under these circumstances your hand is definitely playable.  If your upcard is a big one, you should almost always raise when you are first in. This strategy also works well with the ante stealing strategy as it adds deception to your play.