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7 Card Stud Poker Rules

7 Card Stud Poker was probably the most popular poker variation over the last half century although Texas Holdem surpassed it in popularity in two of the United States legal poker centres, Las Vegas and Los Angeles around 1990. Nonetheless, 7 Card stud poker remains the poker game of choice on the American East Coast, and in many parts of the world and is very common when playing poker online. 7 Card Stud rules supreme in home games, probably because it can so easily be changed into interesting variations involving wild cards.

7 Card Stud begins with an small ante for each player. The exact size of the ante depends on the stakes you have chosen to play. Three cards are then dealt to each player; two face down and one face up. You will, of course, be able to see all three of your cards. The game structure is as follows.

7 Stud - The Bring in Bet

After the first three cards have been dealt, the player showing the lowest up card must make what is called a "bring-in" bet. As with the ante, the size of the bring-in varies depending on the size of the stakes.

7 Stud - Fourth Street (The Second Round of Betting)

After the action has been completed on the opening round, the dealer gives a face-up card to each player remaining in the game. Unlike the first round, where the lowest hand was forced to start the action, in this second betting round, the highest hand on board has the option to start the betting- that is, the player showing the highest hand is called upon first to either bet or check.

If a player raises the bet to $6, all further calls or raises are in $6 increments.

7 Stud - Fifth and Six Streets (round of betting)

On fifth street, you receive your third up card, and then there is a round of betting, again started by the highest hand on board. There are no more $3 bets: all bets and raises are at the higher $6 increments. Sixth street is virtually identical: an up card is dealt, the highest hand acts first, and all bets and raises are at the higher $6 increments.

7 Stud - Seventh Street (round of betting)

In 7 Card Stud, the betting on seventh street is identical to sixth street, but the card dealt is the last card you will receive, and it is dealt face down, meaning that like your initial two hole cards, only you know what you've received. After you examine this final card, you assemble your best possible five card poker hand out of the seven in front of you. Don't forget that a poker hand is always five cards.

If your hand is (4-4) 5-6-5-7 (7), you don't have "three pair." Your best hand here is two pair, sevens and fives, with a six kicker.

Because you wind up with four cards showing and three cards in the hole, it is possible to have an extraordinarily well-disguised hand in seven-card stud. Your board (visible cards) can look like you have a collection of garbage hands, but you could have a hand a strong as four of a kind.

The only clues your opponents might have to the hidden strength of such a hand are the aggressive way you would likely bet, if you started with trips (rolled up), and the fact that they never saw another open card that matched your first open card.

The other main difference between stud and flop games are:

There are five betting rounds in stud (three of which, and sometimes four, are at the higher betting level), vs. only four in texas hold'em and Omaha (only two of which are at the higher level).

Because you don't share community cards with other players in stud, it is somewhat easier to catch up when you are trailing. Very often in texas hold'em and stud, a card that improves your hand improves an opponent's hand by an equal amount, and so really hasn't improved your situation. In stud, any card you catch is uniquely yours, and so has a chance to improve you and only you.

The best 5 card poker hand takes the pot.