Seven Card Stud Poker

At the turn of the 20th century, Seven-Card Stud Poker overtook Five-Card Stud Poker as the most popular variety of Stud Poker. It is still the most popular form of Stud Poker played around the world today.

The object of the game is to finish with the best poker hand and win the pot. Two to eight Players can can play Seven-Card Stud Poker at one time.

Playing Seven-Card Stud Poker

Note:

To play Seven-Card Stud you must have enough chips on the table to place an ante and a bet.

Seven-Card Stud plays as follows:

Place an ante on the table.   Note: The ante amount is set by the card room There is no ante at $0.50/$1.00 tables.     You are dealt three cards, two hole cards and one card face-up.     The Player with the lowest card showing by suit, must bring-in the betting.       Note:   Suits are ranked from low to high - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.     A round of betting begins. Players can either:     Raise Call Fold     After all the Players have contributed the same amount into the pot, the fourth card, the Fourth Street , is dealt face-up and there is another round of betting.       Note: In fixed limit games, Fourth Street betting is still at the lower limit unless a Player has a Pair showing. If a Pair is showing, the first Player to bet may choose to open the betting at the higher limit.     At Fifth Street , in fixed limit games, the bets are at the higher amount whether or not a Pair is showing. At Sixth Street , the final face-up card is dealt.     The last phase of Seven-Card Stud is Seventh Street . The seventh card is dealt face down to all Players, followed by the final round of betting and the Showdown.

Game Sequence

Each Player places an ante on the table.

Each Player is dealt two hole cards face-down and the door card face-up.

First betting round.

Each Player is dealt one card face-up, known as Fourth Street .

Second betting round.

Each Player is dealt one card face-up, known as Fifth Street .

Third betting round.

Each Player is dealt one card face-up, known as Sixth Street .

Final betting round.

Fourth betting round.

Each Player is dealt a last card face-down, known as Seventh Street or the River Card.

Final betting round.

Players compare hands to determine the winner. The Player with the highest hand wins the pot. This is known as the Showdown.

Strategies

To improve your chances of winning, use the following strategies:

	A big pair in your first three cards is worth betting on, unless another Player is betting aggressively on what seems to be a very good hand.
	Fifth Street is a make-or-break point. As the bet amount doubles each round, ensure your hand can produce a win at the end of the game. This minimizes your loss.
	It is advisable to fold if another Player's exposed cards beat your entire hand.
	If you are trying to complete a hand such as a Straight or a Flush, check to see if the cards you need are live . These are cards that are not showing in other Players hands. You can then adjust your strategy accordingly.