How To Play Seven Card Stud
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- After the initial deal, there is a betting interval. Each active player receives three more face up cards and one more face down card, with a betting interval after each round of cards dealt. In the showdown, each player turns up all of their hole cards and selects five of their seven cards as their hand.
Five Card Stud, the ancestor of all modern variants of poker, used to enjoy a great deal of popularity, but now Texas Hold’em has occupied its place in the hearts of millions of poker players worldwide.
Seven-Card Stud uses a small betting limit and a big betting limit. In our example game with antes of $1 and a bring-in of $5, the small bet is $10. Players can only bet and raise in $10.
This does not mean that Five Card Stud no longer has any followers. Since it is a high-speed poker variant, several poker adventurers love this variant and prefer it to Texas Hold’em. Players also prefer Five Card Stud to other poker variants because it has easy-to-understand rules and moves at a rapid pace.
Beginners can learn to play Five Card Stud in 7 easy steps, as follows:
- Place the Ante
The ante amount should be determined well in advance of the game. Once this is done, the cards are well-shuffled and a face-down card and a face-up card are dealt to each player, starting from the player seated to the left of the dealer. - Place the Bring-in
The “bring-in” is a forced bet, which the player with the weakest face-up card is made to place. There are two ways to do this:- The player with the weakest face-up card places a small bet, which is called the bring-in.
- Second, no player is forced to place a bet, and the player with the strongest face-up card places a bet. In case two players have the same card, the player who is closest to the deal will have to place the bet.
The game then moves on to several phases, called streets. Whenever a fresh card is dealt to players, it is called street.
- Third Street
The players receive a third card face up, during the phase of the game called Third Street, followed by a betting round initiated by the player who has the strongest face-up card. The betting then moves in a clockwise fashion till all players have made their move. - Fourth Street
Players now receive a fourth card face up, and the maximum bet is now placed by each player who has not yet folded. - River
Players now receive the last card face up, during the phase of the game called River. As usual, the player with the strongest face-up card initiates the last betting round. Now it is time for the showdown, and the player who displays the strongest hand wins the pot. - Hot Five Card Stud Tips
Here are some excellent tips to help beginners play a winning game of Five Card Stud Poker:- Play only the best starting hands. It is better to fold weak hands instead of losing money on them in the long run.
- Players must observe their opponents carefully as it will help them plan their own moves better. Players must, therefore, learn the art of reading and analysing poker tells to their advantage.
- Players must also learn the art of bluffing so that opponents are forced into making major expensive mistakes and make it easier for the bluffer to grab the pot.
- Learn 5 Card Stud Poker Strategy
Once players have thoroughly understood how to play 5 Card Stud Poker, it is time to learn, understand, and implement some basic strategies.- Watch opponents’ cards – Playing 5 Card Stud Poker is relatively easy because most of the cards are dealt face down. Players have to watch not only their own cards, but also their opponents’ cards so that can make a better move.
- Starting hands – Players should be careful about choosing their hands because not all hands in 5 Card Stud Poker can be played.
- Players must fold if their first three cards do not contain a pair or a better combination.
- Players should always remember what hands have been folded so that they know all the live cards.
- An Ace is always a great card to have, especially if it is a hole card, but players had better fold if the Ace is the only good card in their hand and if their opponents are having far better cards.
- It is always better to fold as early as possible instead of folding late into the game. If players feel that their odds of winning are too slim, they had better fold instead of chasing their losses.
- Bluffing is always a good strategy to use.
Learn how to play Five Card Stud Poker using the video below
This video has been provided by VideoJug
Further Articles
Introduction
Stud poker first appeared as early as the 1860's in America. Formerly all poker games had been 'closed' - the cards were known only to the player to whom they were dealt. Stud poker is an 'open' game in which most of a player's cards are displayed on the table. Therefore players can form an idea of the strength of other players' hands and bet accordingly, although each player has at least one 'hole' card which remains concealed until the showdown. Since poker is a five card game it is natural that the earliest form of stud poker was five card stud. In this game each player's first card is dealt face down and known only to the owner, but the other four are dealt face up with a betting round after each.
Although Five Card Stud was overtaken in popularity in the late 20th century by Seven Card Stud and community card games such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha, it is still played in some places.
This page assumes some familiarity with the general rules and terminology of poker. See the poker rules page for an introduction to these, and the poker betting and poker hand ranking pages for further details.
Players and Cards
A standard 52-card pack is used, and since only five cards per player are dealt, it is possible for up to 10 people to play.
The Play
The sequence of events is as follows (as usual the cards are dealt clockwise one at a time):
- All players place an ante in the pot.
- Each player is dealt one card face down and one face up, and there is a betting round.
- Each player is dealt a third card face up. There is a second betting round.
- Each player is dealt a fourth card face up. There is a third betting round.
- Each player is dealt a fifth and card face up. There is a fourth betting round.
- Surviving players show their cards and the best five-card hand wins the pot.
The concealed card - the first dealt to each player - is sometimes known as the 'hole' card.
Order of Betting
Traditionally, each betting round is begun by the player with the best hand showing. For this purpose pairs, triplets, two pairs and quads count in their normal poker order - so for example with three cards showing 3-3-3 is higher than 7-7-8, which is higher than A-K-Q. Incomplete straights and flushes do not count. If there is a tie it is resolved by comparing the suits of the highest cards in the tied hands using the ranking order clubs (low), diamonds, hearts, spades (high).
Some play that in the first betting round, the first player must place a compulsory bet, called the bring-in. In this case there may be no ante, though an ante is usually paid as well.
Some play that the first betting round starts with a compulsory (bring-in) bet by the player showing the lowest card. This is now the normal rule in formal games hosted by American casinos. The subsequent betting rounds are begun by the highest hand showing as usual.
How To Play Seven Card Stud Variation Between The Sheets
Size of Bets
This is of course for the players to agree. Five Card Stud is often played as a fixed limit game with the following arrangements.
- A small bet and a big bet size are determined - say for example $5 and $10.
- When there is a compulsory bring-in bet, the ante amount is generally much smaller than the small bet - say $0.50 in the example.
- The compulsory bring-in bet is normally less than the small bet but more than the ante - say $2 in the example.
- The player who opens the betting has the option to place a full small bet ($5) instead of just the compulsory minimum $2.
- If the opener just places the minimum bring-in, subsequent players have the option to complete the bet to a small bet ($5), to call the bring-in ($2) or to fold. Only if someone completes the bet are later players allowed to raise. If the opener chooses to begin with a full bet ($5), subsequent players can raise.
- In the first betting round no big bets are allowed.
- If there is no compulsory bet in the first betting round, then a larger ante should be used, and only full small bets are allowed in the first betting round.
- Only one bet and a maximum of three raises are allowed in any betting round, if there were more than two active players at the start of the betting round. A bring-in of less than a small bet does not count as a bet for this purpose - after it is completed there can be three raises.
- In the second betting round, when players have two face up cards, big bets ($10) are allowed if any player has a pair (or better) showing. In this case anyone can place a big bet or raise, even if they do not themselves have a pair.
- Note that if the rule is played that each raise must be at least as large as the last bet or raise, then after a player places a big bet, only big raises are allowed in that round. However, many home poker games do not have this rule, in which case a player may respond to a big bet with a small raise, thereby 'using up' one of the three raises and limiting the potential size of the pot.
- Some play that in the last two betting rounds, after players are dealt their fourth and fifth cards, only big bets are allowed. This is the normal rule in casino hosted games, but not in home poker games.
Variations
Sometimes Five Card Stud is played with the fifth card dealt face down, so that in the last betting round each player still has only three cards showing. In this case the final betting round will be begun by the same player who began the previous round.
Lowball
Five Card Stud can be played low (lowest hand wins). This game is sometimes called Lowball, though this name is also used for Draw Poker played for low. Any of the low poker ranking systems can be used. In American casinos ace-to-five ranking would be most usual. Many home poker players prefer ace-to-six ranking. Deuce-to-seven ranking would also be possible.
In the formal casino version, the player with the highest card showing (Ace counting as low) starts the first round of betting with a compulsory bring-in bet. Subsequent betting rounds are begun by the player with the lowest hand showing. Since a pair is not a good hand in this game, a player with a pair showing is not entitled to place a big bet. The remaining rules are the same as in ordinary Five Card Stud, as described above, except that in the showdown the lowest hand wins.
Five Card Stud High-Low
The deal and betting are mostly the same as in ordinary five card stud. Some play that in high-low games, a pair showing does not give players the option of a big bet or raise.
In the formal version of this game, at the showdown, the pot is split equally between the highest and lowest hands, the odd chip going to the high hand if the amount cannot be divided exactly by two. Any of the possible low hand ranking methods can be used - see low hand ranking on the poker hand ranking page.
In home games, Five Card Stud High-Low is often played with declaration. After the final betting round each player has to declare either 'high', 'low'. This can be done either in sequence around the table or simultaneously - see the section on declaration methods on the poker betting page. Usually players are not allowed to dealer 'both' in Five Card Stud High-Low. Even if it were allowed it would be unusual, unless perhaps you were playing ace-to-five ranking (uncommon in home games) and a player had (or pretended to have) an A-2-3-4-5 straight which is good for both high and low.
In the showdown, the highest hand among the players who have declared 'high' shares the pot with the lowest of the players who have declared 'low'. See the section on the showdown in split pot games on the poker betting page for further details and variations.
How To Play Seven Card Stud Poker Videos
Five Card Stud High-Low with a Buy
This home poker variant is exactly like Five Card Stud High-Low except that after the fifth card is dealt, each player in turn has the opportunity to 'buy' a card. The player discards one card and the dealer deals a replacement card, face up if the discarded card was face up but face down if the discarded card was face down. A player who buys a card must pay an agreed amount to the pot - for example one large bet. After everyone has had a chance to buy, the final betting round, the declaration and the showdown follow.
This game can be played with two rounds of buying, the second round being more expensive than the first.
Sökö
In Finland, one of the most popular poker games is Sökö. Elsewhere it is sometimes known as California Stud. It is the same as 5-card stud except for the hand ranking: there are two additional hands, ranking below a pair.
A 4-straight consists of four cards of consecutive rank and an odd card. When comparing 4-straights, compare the straights first: if they are equal the rank of the odd card decides.
A 4-flush consists of four cards of one suit and one card of a different suit. First compare the four flush cards in descending order and if the these are all equal compare the odd card.
The rank of hands from lowest to highest is:
- high card
- pair
- 4-straight
- 4-flush
- two pair
- three of a kind
- straight
- flush
- full house
- four of a kind
- straight flush