Seven Card Stud

7 Card Stud Rules

7 Card Stud rules - If you want a change from Razz poker or you just want to have more opportunities to turn a big hand and/or make more bets, then 7 Card Stud may be the change you are looking for. Before you dive in head first however, take a few minutes to read over these basic 7 Card Stud rules so that you get a good feel for the game.

Seven Card Stud is a conventional poker game in that the best five card (out of seven) hand wins. So the traditional hand rankings apply here just like Draw poker, Hold’em and Omaha. At the start of the game, the dealer will collect antes from every player. The ante is a small amount (the amount varies but is often ½ to ¼ of the small bet) and is collected to help ensure there’s action on every hand. There are no blinds in 7 Card Stud but after the antes are paid, the dealer will deal three cards to each player. Two of the cards are dealt face down and the third card is dealt face up, also known as a “door card”.

If two players have the same door card (the 'two' for example) then the lowest suit (ranked from highest to lowest: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades) will be forced to place the “bring in” bet. The Bring-in bet is typically half of the small bet so in the case of a 2/4 game it would be $1. This player also has the option of “completing” the bet, which would be making a $2 bet. Conversely, if the bring in bet is made by the first player to act, any player acting afterwards has the option of calling the bring in bet or completing the bet. Each player thereafter has the choice to call or raise, with most games being capped at 3-4 raises.

Once that has taken place, the dealer will deal fourth street face up with a betting round just like above taking place. On fifth street, the card is also dealt face up but the bets increase to the big bet, in this case to $4. Sixth street is also dealt face up and after the betting and action is complete, will deal the final card face down. Players act accordingly by checking, betting, or raising, and the showdown takes place.

If the action is tame and it’s checked down at this point, the players will turn their cards up starting clockwise from whoever is nearest to the dealer. In 7 Card Stud, the cards “speak” for themselves so if you’re playing live you don’t have to announce anything, you can let the dealer call out your hand. Of course, if you’re playing online poker at a site such as PokerStars, the hand will automatically be ranked and a winner declared accordingly.

There are many things to grasp when trying to master 7 Card Stud, such as paying close attention to the players as the cards are dealt. If you need a heart or a certain card to help make your drawing hand, it’s handy to know if a player tossed it into the muck already! If you’re not paying attention in a game of Stud (because the door cards are exposed for every player), you’re doing yourself a disservice. So make sure to watch the game closely, you’ll enjoy yourself much more and you'll help build your bankroll too!

Being a diverse poker player will make you a better poker player overall. Learn 7 Card Stud rules and other games and not only will you add diversity to your poker game but you'll also find poker to be more fun and more profitable.

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