I've noticed in my home game — especially when we're playing seven-card stud — many otherwise good players tend to make some rather costly mistakes on the very last round of betting, a.k.a. the river.
This is especially obvious in seven-card stud, but the lessons learned from such mistakes can be applied to all other games as well. Let's look at one such mistake and the "logic" that some thoughtful (though not expert) players use to justify the play. Then I'll unwind the situation and show you why a different path makes more sense, and in the process I hope you'll take away a couple of useful lessons for play on the river.