There was a time not that long ago when you would not have been able to find a Deuce to 7 Triple Draw Tournament in any venue, whether live or online. How times have changed!
Now, you can find online tournaments on a regular basis, as well as live tournaments even in such a prestigious setting as the World Series of Poker, where the game is now contested for a bracelet annually. As a result of this growing trend, it is a smart idea for any player interested in having a well-rounded tournament game to understand how to play Deuce-To-7 Triple Draw tournaments, both as a single game and as part of the rotation of an 8-game tournament, in which Deuce to Seven Triple Draw is most often a component.
Like any game of draw poker, all five cards are hidden in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw, thereby encouraging widely diverse styles of play, based largely on how frequently players choose to simply use position to try and dominate the table.
Since Deuce to Seven Triple Draw is played with a small and big blind structure, just like Texas Holdem, the player in the dealer position has the advantage of being able to act after everyone else - both in drawing cards and in betting after the draws. As a result, it is essential that you size up the other players at your table as soon as possible, particularly those who will have the button when you are in the blinds, as well as those who will have their blinds at risk when you are the button.
With only six players at the table, due to the potentially large number of cards that can be dealt out during the hand, it should be easier for you to keep tabs on everyone, and you should observe the following:
• How often do the players raise or re-raise on the button and the cutoff (one to the right of the button) when no one has entered the pot before them?
• Do the players defend their blinds?
• Will players draw three and even four cards after calling a raise?
• How far will they chase against a pat hand?
• How often are they caught showing a pat hand bluff?
These are some of the basic things you should track in determining the best way to play against various opponents, learning which ones can be pushed around with maximum aggression, which are to be avoided due to particularly skillful play, and which can allow you to play a slightly less-than-optimal hand, due to their own propensity for looseness.
In the early stages of a Deuce to Seven Triple Draw tournament, it is important to establish a solid table image. If you appear to be a maniac, playing every hand and often bluffing, you will have no ability to steal blinds later on in the tourney, because other players will not trust you when you enter a pot. If, on the other hand, you consistently show down winning hands, the other players are more likely to give you a wider berth, thereby allowing you to more aggressively take down pots when the blinds are larger and their entire chip stacks might be at risk if they play back at you. At this point in the tournament, you strategy should not change much from solid cash game play.
You should focus on starting hands that are likely to develop into 7s and smooth 8s. These would include dealt pat hands, one-card draws that are not also potential straight draws, and two-card draws to a 7, especially if they contain a deuce. One of the most important concepts in Deuce to Seven Triple Draw to always keep in mind is the power of the deuce, without which a seven-low hand is impossible (7-6-5-4-3 is a straight, which is a terrible hand in Deuce to 7 Triple Draw). If you are involved in a multi-way pot WITHOUT a deuce, you are usually far behind at least one and likely more of the other players, most or all of whom will already have a deuce, making it even less likely that you will be able to draw one later in the hand.
As the tournament progresses and the blinds raise into more uncomfortable territory, you will need to find opportunities to take down pots with as little opposition as possible. You should focus on exploiting players who have been displaying a “weak-tight” style, who are most likely to fold in the face of aggressive raising, especially from a player who has shown themselves to be somewhat tight. Ideally, you will be able to accomplish this in one of the two late position seats, when there are fewer players to act after you, and when you will have all important position later in the hand to continue your aggressive tactics.
While most Deuce to Seven Draw tourneys are played in a limit format, there are an increasing number of them that are played pot limit and no limit. Remember that in the two latter formats, you can use late position and a pot-sized bet either to protect a vulnerable pat hand or to take down a pot simply by using position against a player you may be behind, but who does not have a strong enough hand to call such a dangerous bet. Being able to do this is largely dependent on your table image; if you have been caught making this move with a busted hand after the third draw, you are more likely to get looked up the next time you do it. Of course, this can also work to your advantage if you really have the goods, as players may call with ragged hands such as jack or queen high assuming you are bluffing once again.
In the later stages of a tournament, remember that, unless you are fortunate enough to have a stack that is staying well ahead of the blinds, you will be putting most of your chips at risk each time you enter a hand. It is even more important in this situation to use positional bets to take down pots early, and otherwise, to rely on your very best hands to see you through. However, you should not be afraid to take risks in order to finish high in the tournament, as most of the money is distributed to a few top finishers.
Combine the above ideas with some of the cash-game strategies found in other articles here at PokerWorks, and you will be able to cash consistently and be profitable playing Deuce to Seven Triple Draw tournaments.
*An Introduction to How to Play Deuce to Seven Triple Draw*
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