7-Card Stud

For a lot of years the 7-Card Stud reigned as the most-played poker game. The arrival of the Texas Hold’Em poker variation in the 70’s, which until now has continuously gained popularity, caused the 7-Card Stud to be a little out of the limelight. Moreover, with the coming of Omaha/8, which has become perhaps the second-most-popular game in poker, the 7-Card Stud poker has been somewhat left behind.

However, regardless of popularity, one should not be mislead into judging that the 7-Card Stud is not anymore important to the world of poker. It still is offered in the majority of fair-size poker rooms, a number of tournaments, and is also frequently played by a lot of people for leisure at home.

7-Card Stud is a complex card game that has a lot of details to be learned. Knowing how to play 7-Card stud is a great starting point, here are the basics:

Overview Of The game
7-Card Stud can be played in both “high only” and “high-low or hi/lo”. High only means the highest hand will win, and hi/lo means that highest hand and lowest hand split the pot.

A player gets seven cards; first three cards are given before the first round of betting, with two cards dealt face-down, and one card dealt face-up (door card). A betting round follows after the first deal of the three cards. Then, another three cards are dealt consecutively face-up, with a round of betting after every card. When every single card is out, a player can mix any five of the seven cards to create a best “five-card” hand.

The Antes
7-Card Stud is typically played with “antes”. Prior to the cards being dealt, every player will post a compulsory bet to make a “starting pot”. The “ante” is usually ten percent of the minimum bet.

The Deal
After the antes are posted, every player is given three cards: two of the cards are dealt face-down, and one is dealt face-up. The first round of betting takes place, beginning with the player that has the lowest card displayed. If two players will have the same low cards, the low card is determined through the suit –Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades –alphabetical order where Clubs is the lowest and Spades is the highest.

The player having the lowest card displayed is the player to act first and should bet or known as “bring in”; however, the player has a betting choice of either half the small bet or the small bet. If “half a bet” is done, the next players can “call” the bet or “raise” it to a “full small bet”; a player can also “fold”.

Fourth Street
After the first round of betting is done, every player gets a “fourth card” face-up. The second round of betting occurs; during and on the remaining rounds of betting, the player with best hand displayed starts the bet. The most usual rule for this round is that the player who starts the bet is limited to betting a “small bet” unless the player holds a “pair”; in this case, the player has the option of making a small or large bet.

Fifth Street
Every player gets the “fifth card” face-up. The third round of betting occurs, beginning with a player showing the “best three card” displayed hand.

Sixth Street
Every player gets the “sixth card” face-up. The fourth round of betting happens, beginning with a player who displays the “best four card hand”.

Seventh Street (the river)
Every player gets the seventh and last card, dealt facing down, not seen by other players. The fifth and final round of betting occurs, starting again with a player showing the “best four card hand”. If there is not just one player left in the hand after the round of betting finishes, then a show down takes place; the “best high hand” wins the pot.

7-Card Stud is a great poker game that a lot of people still love to play; despite its “out-of-the-limelight” reputation these days, it still remains to be among the best variation of poker games.