7 Card Stud: Raise for a free card on fifth street
In seven card stud, free cards are invaluable when the bets double in size (fifth street and beyond). Accordingly, you should be raising on fourth street when you are acting after the bettor and you have a hand that could either improve on its own merit (become two pair or trips) or improve to a powerful draw.
For example, let’s say you started with (Ad-7d)-Kd and you opponent started with (X-X)-Q and he brings it in for a raise. On further street, you catch a 7c and he catches a king. He comes out betting again. Now you can probably assume that you don’t have the best hand at the moment. But in any case, you should raise and try to represent a pair or kings. In all likeliness, he will call and then check to you on fifth street. Now if you catch another diamond on fifth street, you can either attempt to semi-bluff or you can check and take a free shot at making a flush (preferable).
If you take the free card and you catch a baby spade on sixth and he catches a repeat queen, now you can comfortably fold and you haven’t lost much money. However, if you catch a flush draw and then a flush, your hand is relatively hidden and you may get some good action when the bets are twice the size. But the key is this: raise on fourth street to get that free card on fifth street whenever your hand has good potential, but is probably the second best hand at the moment.
Another good example is this: You have (Js-Ks)-Qd-As. Now in this spot, it would be better to have two shots at trying to catch a 10 for the price of one. However, another spade on fifth could also make things interesting.
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