How to Play 7-Card Stud
7-Card Stud demands strategy and skill and it takes a lot of play to develop the winner's edge. Top caliber players are few and far between but they have one thing in common with the rookies: every player of the game is still learning, even the masters.
Let's begin with the basic rules.
Betting Limits
Stud games are defined by their betting limits. The game's betting limits tell the Stud player pretty much everything they need to know about the nature of the game, the expectations of the players, and the size of the buy-in you should have before you sit in.
Buy-In
Your minimum Stud Buy-In is typically 5-times the higher limit, or $25 for a $1-$5 game. But playing with the minimum is not recommended.
Dealing
We'll use a $1-$5 game as our working example
The dealer deals clockwise starting on their immediate left. They deal one card at a time around the table until each player has two pocket cards (face down) and a single up (the "door" card).
At this point the dealer indicates which player will open the betting, determined by the lowest door card. If there's a tie for low door, suit resolves it: spades, hearts, followed by diamonds, and finally clubs is the lowest.
Betting
Once the initial cards have been dealt, the game begins. At this point we've got three cards on the table per player and that's called "Third Street".
Third Street
The player holding the lowest door card must "bring it in" by opening with a bet $1-$5 in our example. This is a forced bet and that player must bet $1-5.
The next player clockwise from the opener can Call by matching the opener, Raise by doubling the previous player's bet up to $5 with a maximum of three raises.
Fourth Street
The dealer gives each player another open (up) card. Unlike third street, the opener in the fourth and remaining streets is the high hand as determined by the open cards. They may Check (Pass), Bet $1-$5 or raise by doubling the previous player's bet up to $5 with a maximum of three raises.
Fifth and Sixth Street
Again, the card is dealt up and high hand opens. They may Check (Pass), Bet $1-$5 or raise by doubling the previous player's bet up to $5 with a maximum of three raises.
Seventh Street
The last card, called the "river", is another pocket card (face down). They may Check (Pass), Bet $1-$5 or raise by doubling the previous player's bet up to $5 with a maximum of three raises.
Showdown
After the Bets and Raises have been resolved, the remaining players enter the Showdown. The opener reveals his pocket cards. If a player wishes to compete with this hand they too reveal their pocket cards, or they can yield and muck out (Fold).
At the casino it's the dealer's responsibility to call the winner, as determined by the best 5-card hand under normal Poker rules.
Hi/Lo Variation
7 Card Stud High/Low is an interesting variation of 7 Card Stud poker that allows for two
winning hands to share the pot; the best high hand and the best low hand.
For a hand to qualify for the low hand, it must consist of five unpaired cards
with the highest being no greater than an 8. The winning low hand is determined
by the player with the lowest high-card if you see what we mean. For example,
2h-3h-5s-6d-8c, their low is an 8-6. In the
event of a tie the next lowest high-card is used and so on (8-6-5). In the event of
a tie where the two hands cannot be separated, each player receives a quarter
of the pot.
Some more rules of 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo
- If there is no qualifying low hand then the best high hand wins the entire pot.
- One player can win the entire pot by having the best high hand and the best low hand (for example, A-2-3-4-5 or 2h-3h-5h-6h-8h).
- Aces count as both high and low.
- Players may use different cards to form their high hand and their low hand, or they can use the same cards.