Stud poker rules

Since 7-card Stud is one of the most recognised and strategic forms of poker, it’s worth taking a closer look at how it’s played. Unlike community-card games such as Hold’em or Omaha, every participant receives an individual set of cards that belong only to them. This means no shared cards appear on the table, and each player builds their best possible hand using their own seven cards. During the game, some cards are dealt face down and remain hidden, while others are visible to everyone at the table. This creates a mix of open and concealed information, where observation and memory play a key role. Players must pay attention to the cards already shown and adjust their strategy accordingly. Stud poker rewards patience, concentration, and the ability to make accurate decisions based on limited data, making it both challenging and engaging for experienced poker enthusiasts.

The most important thing to remember is that if you don’t discard your cards before the final hand, you may end up with 7 cards to choose from to make your final 5-card hand without having to use any specific cards.

The strategy is

Learning the strategy of the 7-card pack is tricky, but not impossible. After the cards are shuffled, all players must ante. Antes are “dead money”, meaning they go straight into the pot. Starting with the player to the left of the dealer and moving clockwise around the table, everyone receives two cards face up and then one face up.

The player with the door card with the lowest value must ‘bring it in’. Here’s what you need to tell the difference between a losing player and a ring-in:

1. All cards are face value, and face cards are ranked from worst to best: Jack, Queen, King.
2. Aces are high for a ring-in, which means they rank higher than kings.
3. If two players have the lowest card of the same rank, suits are used to determine the loser.
4. Stud poker uses poker suits in alphabetical order from worst to best: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades.

The player who has to make a bet has two choices: either he can make a bid equal to the ante or he can finish the bet up to the full amount of the small bet.

First round

The player to the left of the ring-in moves next. The game moves clockwise around the table, one player at a time. The betting round ends when two conditions are met:

1. All players have had an opportunity to act.
2. All players who have not discarded cards have bet the same amount of money for the round.

Then the next round starts.

Second round

When the first betting round is over, each player receives one open card. In this and all subsequent rounds the first player to act is determined by the value of the cards dealt.

The player with the highest value shows the cards first. The value of the revealed cards is ranked in the same order as the poker combinations. The suit ranks are used in case of a draw to show the cards with the highest rank.

Third round

Each remaining player receives another card face up, starting on his left. The first player to bet is the player with the best open cards. In this round, players bet using the high limit.

Fourth round

Each player gets one hole card, and the first bets are placed on the hole cards with the highest value. Bets on the sixth street use the high betting limit.

Final Round

When the sixth street betting round is over, each player gets the last face down card. The player with the highest open card rating in the previous betting round also acts first in this betting round. The final betting round uses a large betting limit.