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How to Play 7 Card Stud Poker

Of all poker games, Texas Holdem is the one that gets all the press. If you're like most players, it was probably the first poker game you ever played. But after you've been playing Holdem for a while, you might want to try a more challenging type of poker: 7 Card Stud. This game requires more strategy and planning than Holdem, and is not very friendly toward novice players. In this article you will learn the basic rules of 7 Card Stud.

How to Play 7 Card Stud Poker

Stud games are played with different betting limits, like Limit Holdem. Low stake tables are typically $2-$4 and are suitable for beginners. Higher stake limits are anywhere from $8-$16 to $100-$200.

Before joining a table, make sure you have a good buy-in. To be able to play comfortably, buy in with at least 50 times the minimum bet. So for a $2-$4 table, you have to buy in with $100. The more money you come in with, the better.

Like Texas Holdem, the 7 Card Stud game begins with an ante or forced bet. In low limit tables, this is usually 10% of the minimum wager. In higher limit tables, it can be up to 25%.

Cards are dealt clockwise to each player, starting with the one on the dealer's left. The dealing continues until every player has two cards facing down and one facing up. The down cards are known as pocket cards, and the up card is called the door card. Each player now has three cards.

Door cards are visible to everyone. Now the player with the lowest door card initiates betting. To rank cards, Stud follows conventional playing card rankings. If there is a tie, the suits act as a tiebreaker. Clubs are the lowest, followed by diamonds, hearts and spades.

At this stage in 7 Card Stud, known as "Third Street," the player with the lowest door card must bet twice the ante. If this is a $2-$4 game, the bet is $.40. If they don't bet, they must fold and the betting decision goes to the next player on their left.

The next player can fold, call the bet or raise to the full minimum bet, in this case $2. All wagering in Third Street is limited to the $2.

Now the dealer gives a second up card to each player. This is "Fourth Street." Betting here is initiated by the player with the highest visible hand. They can check or make a bet at the lower limit of $2, capping all bets in this round to the same amount.

If the opening bettor has a pair, they can wager at the upper limit of $4, thus setting all bets for that round to the same amount.

There follow two more streets, Fifth and Sixth Streets. Betting for these is also begun by the player with the highest visible hand. Wagers are now at the $4 higher limit.

At the Seventh Street or river, one last card is dealt to each player, facing down. All bets raises are also at the upper limit.

After this final betting, the remaining players engage in a showdown. In 7 Card Stud, the opening bettor shows all their pocket cards. If others want to, they can show their hidden cards as well. Or they can just muck or fold in defeat.

In a live casino, the dealer decides who has the best hand. In online poker rooms, the software takes care of it.

This is how 7 Card Stud is played. It requires more strategy than the faster, more straightforward Texas Holdem. If you feel you've played enough hands with Holdem, try this challenging poker version as an alternative.