Taking a look at the same old 7 card stud game over and over might make you want to fall asleep. If you are a big fan of the original, but want a slight change you are in luck.
There are a handful of variations out there to 7 card stud. Cowpie Poker might just be the twist you are looking for without having to sacrifice a lot of the gameplay in return.
Quick Tips For Cowpie Poker Betting Strategy
On the first note, you want to make sure you have a strategy when playing this game. The rules alone are simple to follow just like the original but there are some aspects to keep in mind.
If you can find a way to practice your skills, this would ultimately help your position too. Some common tips to keep in mind are knowing the rules, what cards you want to play, and checking on your money.
Knowing The Rules
If you already know the rules to the original 7 card stud, you are on your way to getting this strategy done quicker. Let us take a look for those that do not know.
First, everyone that wants to play antes up. Next, the dealer sends out 2 cards face down and then 1 card face up to every player.
A betting round will take place again and then the fourth card will be dealt face up to everyone in. This cycle of bet and dealing will continue on until the seventh and final card is dealt, but that card is going to be dealt face down while the rest are face up.
Once everyone has their seventh card, players will now split their hand into 2 hands. One hand will have the 5 cards face up and the other hand is the 2 cards face down. You can switch the cards around to make the best and worst hands, but each hand must have 1 face down card.
The 5 card hand has to beat the 2 card hand. Then everyone will take a final bet on their hands. The showdown will begin and the pot will be split between the highest 5 card hand and the lowest 2 card hand.
What Cards To Play
The card rankings still follow along as normal. The Royal flush being the best and high card being the lowest hand.
For this game, you will have one opportunity to reevaluate your hands. So, you can switch some cards around between your 5 and 2 card hands to make the best of what you have.
It is important to keep in mind that if you can make one hand ultimately better and one might be weaker, then you should stick to keeping one hand as strong as possible. Unless of course you are trying to make a weak hand but you get the idea.
You also need to pay attention to what people have on the table. Everyone is going to have 5 cards face up so you can get a good idea of what the 5 card hand is going to look like.
Checking On Your Money
This game will be pot split, so the pot will be divided up between 2 winners. This is somewhat a disadvantage to some because if they bet too often or too much, they might not get as much of a return back because they are not able to win both hands.
Definitely keep a budget and stick to it. Never bet based on emotions or any other factors besides what your poker knowledge and the table is showing you.