Fans of Follow the Queen can have a bit of familiarity with this variation. Although this name has different forms, you will notice it right away once you recognize the rules to Smack the King and Queen.
The game follows along just like Follow the Queen, so players will need to understand that game if they want to play. However, you will be up for a twist with a slight rule change in this one.
Smack The King and Queen Poker Tips
Playing this game should be approached just like any other. You want to make sure you have the best strategy, so a few tips could help you make one.
Practicing your strategy is very helpful before wagering any money. The most common tips for being successful are understanding the rules, making the best hands, and watching your money.
The Rules
This seven-card stud game plays out like Follow the Queen. In that game and this one, players are dealt two cards face down and one face up.
Each round will have a betting opportunity, and one card at a time will continue to be dealt face up to each player. Once players make it to the last card, the 7th card will be dealt face down.
In the process of flipping a card one at a time over to each player, there is a chance for a wild card. Queens are always wild in this game. If a Queen is revealed face up, the next card after it is also wild.
However, with Smack the King and Queen, if a King shows face up, it is now wild and is the only wild. From then on, players will have to pay attention because it could change again.
If a Queen shows up again after the King is dealt face-up, the wilds will go back to the regular way. So a Queen is wild again and the card after it is wild. If no King is ever flipped over, then the game will follow along just like Follow the Queen.
Once players make it to the showdown, the best five-card hand wins out the possible 7 in your hand. Players must also remember what is wild, so there is no confusion with hand strength.
Best Hands to Make
Since this game has the potential to become “wild friendly,” you will have a lot of options to make great hands here. As such, you need to make sure what you are going for does not get interrupted by a King messing with the wilds or a Queen.
If you manage to make it to the later rounds and the wilds are appearing to stay put, this is a great time to guess your hand strength. Three of a kind or better is ideal here. Four of a kind would be excellent in this situation.
Watching Your Bankroll
Stud games typically have a lot of betting rounds and a handful of players putting money into the pot. This means that it is easy for the pot to become quite large and to make some players lose money quickly if they are not careful.
In order to set yourself up here, you should keep a close eye on how the betting is going. If other players are betting heavily or if you think they have a good hand, you might want to fold.
If you think you have a good hand, you could try bluffing or setting the tone with a good bet yourself. Either way, managing your bets is a great example of winning at this game.