Seven-Card Stud Legend Artie Cobb Discusses Stud 8-or-Better Strategy
Four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Artie Cobb may not be a recognizable name in today��s new-age game of young guns, but he is definitely known amongst the earlier generations of poker professionals.
Cobb is truly a living legend of seven-card stud, having cashed in 34 WSOP events, 24 of which were in stud events. His first WSOP cash dates to 1976 when he finished runner-up to Doc Greene in Event #5: the $1,500 Limit Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo event. Seven years later, Cobb won his first WSOP bracelet in the 1983 $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo event collecting $52,000 for the first place title. His bracelet win was quite the achievement as he defeating a field of 104 players, including a final table that featured Johnny Moss and David Singer.
In 1987, Cobb did it again, winning the $4,500 Limit Seven-Card Stud event for $142,000. He then added another bracelet win in 1991 in the $1,500 Limit Seven-Card Stud event, and then again in 1998 in the $2,5000 Limit Seven-Card Stud tournament for over $300,00.
Cobb was back on the felt Wednesday attempting to snatch a fifth bracelet in Event #13: $5,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8-or-Better event of the 2013 WSOP. If successful, it will be Cobb��s first WSOP bracelet wins in 15 years. He was one of 130 players who advanced to Day 2 on Thursday.
Being graced with the presence of such a high-caliber Stud player, we took the opportunity to speak with him a little bit on the skill of the game and got in depth about some of the more advanced strategies of Stud.
PokerNews: First off, you��re one of the best Stud players that ever lived. Can you name some other great players of Stud?
Cobb: As far as I��m concerned Danny Robison is the best Stud player that ever played. He was just excellent.
What is it about Stud that you love so much?
I think I have a pretty good read on players. I can pinpoint what their hands are, so my hand reading is tip-top. Stud is all about knowing what the other player has rather than only playing your hand. If you know what they have and you don��t have the best hand, then you have to be smart and let go of your hand early.
Do you play in any Stud cash games?
Lately, I��ve been playing at the Bellagio Poker Room in Las Vegas. They spread a $30/$60 game but it only runs a few days a week. Unfortunately, there really isn��t much Stud to play [live] unless you go to California, New Jersey or Connecticut. Most of the people that played Stud have unfortunately grown older and the young people really aren��t playing too much Stud, at least in Las Vegas.
I understand that today��s big game is no limit hold��em. I watched one of the no limit events and maybe 10 percent of the field was 50 years and older. It��s a young man��s game nowadays. Understandably so, younger players have a sharp mind and realize that the game is a lot different today than when it was played many years ago.
What is a good starting hand in Stud 8-or-Better that would give you an opportunity to scoop a pot rather than split?
A hand like 3x4x5x or 4x5x6x. Anything with a five for the low because you can make a straight. A 10x doesn��t really matter as much in Stud split so having a five is really more important. If you��re against a hand that has a five then it��s important to understand the other person��s hand and your hand. Also, playing three to a straight is big, 2x4x5x, 3x5x6x or something similar. The other good hand is to have an ace. If you��re placing aces then it��ll be a nice high hand. It��s hard to scoop if someone makes a low but if no one makes a low and you have aces then you will usually get at least half the pot.
How strong are suited connectors like 4?5? etc.?
If its two-suited low cards like 2?4? then the third card should be matching somehow like 6?. Even though you need that five for the straight, you still have a pretty good starting hand. Looking at the other face-up cards is important because you want to see if there are any threes or fives in other people��s hand. If two fives are out, then that hurts your hand because how do you make a high? You might make a low if its multi-way but if it��s just you and one other person heads-up then maybe you can win. But then if he raises with a queen and you have 2x4x 6x, it��s not a bad starting hand he may have a pair of queens; how do you beat his high? Reading the cards that are already out is very important. Players should always keep that in mind.
If you have a pair of aces with a low kicker, is that a good hand to have in a multi-way pot? Or is it better to play this hand heads-up?
It is good but you have watch the cards that come out because if there are people in against you with low cards then it��s a hand that can win the whole pot but can also lose the whole pot. It��s a better hand to have when playing heads-up because if the guy has a seven showing, then you can suspect he might have a hand with say a 5x6x 7x. If he does catch a deuce, and now shows a 7x2x then he doesn��t have to make a low hand, if he does then it might not be a low hand that beats your aces. You might make a low with aces. It��s a fun hand but it can also be aggravating when you lose to two pair or if someone does make a straight. Heads-up, it��s a very good hand with aces in the hole. The other play may never put you on a big pair.
Let��s say you have Broadway cards as your hole cards. Is that something you can continue with knowing you can only make a high hand?
No. What a terrible hand. Fold it. Unless it��s suited three cards to a royal flush but even then if you don��t catch it on the next street throw it away.
Is it difficult to steal the antes in Stud 8?
It��s not easy to steal the antes but if you had an ace then it��s good to try. Maybe you get lucky and catch a low when the other player gets the high. If you had AxKx 6x and get called with an open four on a raise, you know he has a better hand than you. He might have 4x7x 8x but on the next card he gets a 9x and you get a low card like a 3x, when he calls now with an open 4x9x then you can maybe put him on 7x8x as his hole cards for 4x7x8x9x for three to straight. Rather if he caught a 10x then he would probably fold. Getting to fifth and sixth street is where you have to put more focus to be able to read his hand a little better.
Let��s say you have 6?7? and your up-cards are 4?5? for the open-ended straight flush draw. How do you attack a monster draw like this?
Hopefully you are in a position to raise your opponents but then again you want to have as many players in the pot as possible. You will definitely raise though because it��s such a big hand. Especially when it��s heads-up, it��s huge because no one can recognize that you��re playing suited cards in this game. Then hopefully it works out in your favor.
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