Seven Card Stud

Seven Card Stud Rules  

Seven Card Stud is played using a standard 52-card deck and is usually played by between two to ten players. A total of seven cards are dealt to each player, three of which are dealt face down and four of which are dealt face up. The player must select his best five-card combination from these seven cards. A royal flush is the best possible hand, and the high card hand is the worst hand, just like in Texas hold ’em or Omaha (no pair). 

Seven Card Stud Hand Rankings  

To understand how to win in Seven Card Stud, you need to know and understand what poker hand rankings are. This system is used in most poker games, including Texas Holdem, Omaha Poker, and many others. Once you get familiarized with poker hand rankings, you will know what beats what in most types of poker.  

The list of poker hands is ranked from the stronger to the weakest possible hand:  

1. Royal Flush  
2. Straight Flush  
3. Four of a Kind  
4. Full House  
5. Flush  
6. Straight  
7. Three of a Kind  
8. Two Pair  
9. One Pair  
10. High Card  

Royal Flush is the highest hand in poker while the High Card is the lowest hand in poker. You may learn more about the poker hand rules with our poker hands chart here.  

Dealing of a Hand in Seven Card Stud 

Ante 

All players ante up before the start of a game of Seven Card Stud; the exact amount depends on the game and is shown in the title bar of the table. This represents the price of being dealt the hand. For instance, in a $1/$2 game, the ante is $0.15. 

The Betting Options 

Like other variations of poker, Hold’em allows players to fold, check, bet, call, or raise. Which alternatives are actually available dependent on what the previous players did. 

• Fold — To give up on your current bets by folding your cards face down on the table and giving up. Only fold if you believe your hand is too feeble to stand a chance against the others. 
• Check — To pass. If you don’t take any action (bet), there is nothing to call. You can choose to “check” if you don’t feel like placing a bet. The action will return to you to call, fold, or raise if there is further action from your fellow players in the betting round. 

• Bet —  Depending on the quality of the hand, the player places a specified quantity of bets (or bluff if they are feeling adventurous). The amount must exceed the big blind. 
• Call — To put in the bare minimum of bet amount into the pot required to keep a hand active. 
• Raise — To bet more than what is necessary to call, requiring other players to do the same. 

Third Street 

The first three cards dealt to each player are one face up and two hidden hole cards. The “bring-in” is the player who must initiate the action because they have the lowest exposed card. Depending on the game, they must either place another nominal wager or, if they so choose, a full wager equal to the lower betting increment. Up until all of the betting has been placed for the round, the action moves clockwise around the table. 

Fourth Street 

Fourth Street, a new exposed card, is now dealt to each player. The player whose exposed cards have the highest poker value is the first to act. If no other player is showing a pair of Aces or better, a player with an exposed pair of Kings, for instance, would move first. In a $2/$4 game, for instance, the player may check or wager the lower structured betting amount, which is $2. There is a betting round. 

Fifth Street 

Fifth Street, a new exposed card, is now dealt to each player. Once more, the person whose exposed cards have the highest poker value is the first to act. There is a betting round. For the remainder of the hand, all bets are placed in big bet increments ($4 in a $2/$4 game), beginning on Fifth Street. 

Sixth Street 

Sixth Street, a new exposed card, is now dealt to each player. Once more, the person whose exposed cards have the highest poker value is the first to act. There is a betting round. 

Seventh Street (or the River) 

The seventh and final card is now dealt face-down to each player and is kept a secret from the other players. The player whose exposed cards have the highest poker value is the first to act. If more than one player is left after the final betting round, we proceed to the Showdown. 

The Showdown  

If more than one player remains after the final betting round, the remaining players reveal and compare their hands to decide who the winner or winners are. Players can use any five of the seven cards they have at showdown to form the highest hand and win the pot. The pot will be split equally between the players with the best hands if there are identical hands.  

A new round of Seven Card Stud poker can be played online after the pot is distributed. 

Fixed Limit Seven Card Stud 

Unlike most poker games, Seven Card Stud is mainly played in a fixed-limit betting structure. Fixed Limit refers to the requirement that all bets and raises be made in relation to the table stakes, for instance at a $1/$2 table, in a predetermined increment. 

Bets must be placed in $1 increments for the first two betting rounds (3rd and 4th Street). Bet $1, raise $2, increase $3, and so on. The last three betting rounds (5th, 6th, and 7th Street) call for bets or raises in $2 increments. Bet $2, raise $4, raise again, etc. Each betting round is limited to a total of 4 raises. 

Other Stud Variants 

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, also known as “Stud Eight or Better” or “Stud/8,” is another Seven Card Stud variation that can be played in most online poker sites or online casinos. There are two potential winners in each hand in this variation of Stud, one for having the best high hand and one for having the best low hand, provided the low hand is an eight-low or better.