Seven-card stud is an extremely situational game. Your strategic decisions will depend largely on the context of the hand you're playing. How you choose to play will depend on what information is available at the table. Being able to make smart decisions on the late streets is imperative. Here are some tips for winning late street battles in seven-card stud.

If you bet on fifth street, keep playing until the river

When you play seven-card stud, fifth street is where the action starts to get interesting, in online poker or live alike. After fifth street, each player will have three upcards and two downcards. All bets and raises will have to be made at the double bet level. With the stakes increasing, and with so many cards exposed on the table, fifth street represents a critical turning point in the hand.

If you call a bet on fifth street, be prepared to see the hand through to the end. With two more cards coming, you'll have a good idea about how competitive your hand is in relation to the exposed cards of your opponents. If you have an incredible four-card draw, trips, two pair or if you suspect that your opponents have nothing, keep on playing through fifth street, sixth street and the river.

There are exceptions to this rule. If you suspect that a player has hit a monster hand, there's no reason to continue playing. If your opponent pairs his door card, and is betting aggressively in the late streets, chances are good that you are up against trips. If you can't beat trips, there's no reason to continue the hand.

If you have four clubs in your hand, and there are clubs exposed all across the table, you don't need to chase another club after fifth street. Just fold your hand and wait for a more favorable situation. That's sound poker strategy.

Representing a strong hand can be as effective as making a strong hand

During the late streets, if you have a scary-looking porch (exposed cards), you can try to represent a stronger hand than you actually have. If you take a strong and dominating posture with your hand, it can be just as effective as actually hitting a monster. This is especially true when your opponents are exposing beatable porches. By betting aggressively with your high-value porch, you'll thin out the competition before the river and be in a better position to take down the pot.

Quality late street play is extremely important in seven-card stud. If you have a strong hand, or if you can project a strong hand, be aggressive with your late street bets. If you're calling bets after fifth street, be prepared to see the hand through to the end. If you see favorable draws, paired cards or other signs that you may be beat, don't hesitate to call it quits.

The better you play in the late streets, the easier it will be to win more pots. Just remember to think about the cards on display and the playing styles of your opponents before you decide to take action. They will be different between $0.1/0.2 and $100/200, as well as between Full Tilt and Poker Stars.