Seven Card Stud

How to Play Seven Card Stud

Seven Card Stud is one of the most popular poker games in live casinos as well as on the Internet. In fact, until Texas Hold’em took the poker world by storm in recent years Seven Card Stud was the most popular poker game. The rules of this poker variation are incredibly simple and easy to learn, whether you are already familiar with poker or not. Read on to learn more.

The objective of Seven Card Stud is to obtain the best possible 5-card hand out of seven cards that are dealt to you over the course of the game. Before the game begins, all players put in an ante to start building the pot and then the dealer gives each player two facedown cards, called “hole” or “pocket” cards, and one card face up.

The player that has the lowest-valued face up card puts in a small bet that is known as the “bring-in” and play continues clockwise around the table. Each player must decide to fold, call or raise based upon their cards. Players who fold leave the game; players who call stay in by matching the previous player’s bet; and players who raise stay in by raising the bet to a higher amount.

After the first round of betting the dealer deals a fourth face up card to each player that is still in the game. This round is known as either “The Turn” or “Fourth Street.” Based upon these cards another round of betting ensues, beginning with the player showing the highest face up cards. A fifth card is dealt in the “Fifth Street” or “River” round and betting occurs again. Another round of betting takes place after the sixth card is dealt. Finally, a seventh card is dealt to all players that remain in the game and one last round of betting takes place. If, during any point in the game, all players fold except for one then this player is the winner.

Once all seven cards have been dealt to each player it’s time for the showdown. In the showdown all the players that are still in the game reveal their 5-card poker hands. The player who succeeds in making the best 5-card poker hand is the winner.

Poker hands are ranked in the traditional order. From highest to lowest, poker hands are ranked in the following order: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair and One Pair. If no player has one of these hands then the player with the highest card wins.