Seven Card Stud Rules

Outside of Texas Holdem, Seven card stud is one of the most popular forms of poker around and can be found in most casinos and online poker rooms. In fact, before Holdem arrived on the scene, seven card stud was the game that you had to be playing if you counted yourself a poker player.

While it doesn't enjoy quite the same high prestige today, the game is still played in many of the world's largest tournaments including the World Series of Poker itself and the game is part of the popular H.O.R.S.E poker format meaning that Stud still gets a lot of attention from hard core poker players.

If you're a Holdem player looking to try something different, then Stud might be just what you're after. A lot of Holdem professionals have gone on to become very succesful at Seven Card stud due to the fact that a lot of the key skills and abilities transfer themselves between the games very well.

Although the game is slightly more complex than Holdem, it is certainly worth persevering as there is a lot of prize money to be won and a lot of fish to be taken advantage of.

Antes

Before cards are dealt, all players are asked to pay an ante. This is a small bet which ensures that there is some money in the pot at the beginning of play and is generally 10% of the lower betting limit. in a $20/$40 game, the ante would be $2.

Third Street

Once all Antes have been paid, each player is dealt three cards: two face down and one face up.

The player with the lowest visible card is asked to "bring in" by making a bet equal to half of the small bet. Therefore in the $20/$40 game we mentioned above, the bring in would be $10. The player has the option of leaving it at that amount ... or raising it to the full minimum bet ($20, in our example).

At this point, action revolves around the table in a clockwise order with each player calling, raising or folding. If a player raises then all remaining players must match the size of his bet before action can continue.

Fourth Street

The dealer now gives each player another card which is dealt face up. A second round of betting follows, although this time the action is started by the player who is showing the best hand.

Fifth Street

Another card is dealt face-up to each player and a betting round follows. From here on in, the size of all bets must be made in denominations of the largest betting limit.

Sixth Street

One more card is dealt face up to each player. Another round of betting follows.

Seventh Street

A final card is dealt to each player face-down. There is then a final round of betting. Depending on the number of players around the table, it is sometimes possible that there are not enough cards left in the deck to give each player a seventh card.

In this case, a single card is turned upright in the middle of the table and used as a community card. All players can share this card to complete their own individual hands.

Showdown

If there is still more than one player involved in the action, then all players must turn over their cards. The player who has used his cards to make the best possible 5-Card poker hand is declared the winner and takes all the chips in the middle of the table.

If only one player is left, that player can take the pot without showing his hand.