She has also written and edited numerous books on gambling. In Part One of this series, we listed the ten starting hands every stud player should memorize. Here, we're going to look at each of these with regard to how you might player them in early position. Three of a kind. If you're lucky enough to be dealt trips, you have an extremely good chance of winning the pot down to the river, whether you're first or last to act on the opening round.
Some people believe they have to bet trips aggressively immediately, to protect their hand.
Doing so, however, diminishes much of the value of this hand. The best way to play trips is as follows. Once you've put yourself on alert to any potential danger, slow-play the hand for the next two streets. Your purpose is to build a good pot. Become more aggressive on sixth and seventh streets.