Card Counting in 7 Card Stud Poker

Recently I was asked if counting cards in 7 card stud poker and blackjack is the same or different.

The question at first seemed to be one that I could answer from the top of my head, telling the person who asked the question that its obviously different with the two game been totally different but on looking further into the question it becomes a better question the longer I think about it.

In a way, counting cards in both games does offer the counter a better chance of winning as long as the counting is done right but with the element of luck and the fact the cards a shuffled regularly, the chances of knowing what the next card is going to be in blackjack is a lot harder to predict than within the game of seven card stud poker.

I’m saying that its harder to count the cards in blackjack because of the sheer volume of cards that are within the dealers deck after the initial cards are dealt to all players who have placed their wager into the pot.

With stud poker offering players the chance to see a number of the cards that an opponent is holding, this gives extra insight into what could be still within the deck, giving the player a chance to adapt their playing style should they see that the cards they needed were already out.

With this now explained, you should now be able to see that the counting of cards in seven card stud poker is something that almost every player, certainly the successful players do in each and every hand.

The difference between the two games only really offers one huge difference when it comes to counting cards in the game, in stud poker a miss count can cost you dearly as failure to count that your pair has already had its counterparts placed onto the table in front of another player will leave you trying to cling on to them with your dear poker life.

Failure to count cards in the game of blackjack is something that can still result in you beating the house.

The decision to count cards at the blackjack table is something that is personal to a player’s preference, with many players trying to count the cards but failing.

By no means am I saying that counting cards in blackjack doesn’t work, we’ve all heard stories about casino blackjack players who have walked out at the end of the night with a huge profit in their pocket or some… briefcase!

What I am saying is that counting cards in the game of stud poker is something that is needed as a skill for a player to become successful at the game, allowing them to make calculated decisions rather than rash, incorrect ones.

There are just as many blackjack big winners who have never even thought about counting cards, showing that counting cards at a blackjack table is something that is personal preference and takes a huge amount of practise and studying methodology.