Stud Poker Sites
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Welcome to our section on Stud Poker which teaches how to play seven card stud and also lists some of the best stud poker sites available online. While 7 Card Stud has faded somewhat in popularity over the past few years it used to be one of the most popular variants available in card rooms. These days, while poker games like Texas Holdem and Omaha Poker has come to the forefront, Stud still is played widely especially amongst older players. Below you will find a full overview of the rules for playing seven card stud along with some of the best sites to play it at including a list of poker websites that offer the best stud poker action for players.
How To Play Seven (7) Card Stud
Seven card stud is quite a different game than Holdem and Omaha since it includes five betting rounds instead of four and also incorporates antes and fixed betting limits during play. The two most popular types of Stud Poker including one with a spread limit (for example $5-$10) and games that have fixed raising increments. Below we’ll run through how a typical game of stud would run to illustrate how the game works and how to play properly.
To begin the game, all players wishing to play in the hand must put an ante into the pot which is usually a fraction of the overall limits and is meant to start the action in the game. Next, the dealer will give each player two cards face down (hole cards) and one card face up (door card) to begin the hand. Next, the first betting round begins and the player with the lowest door card showing who must do what is know as “bringing it in” where they place a forced wager that is more than the ante but less than the table limits. This betting round is called third street since you already have three cards, your hole cards and the door card that’s been dealt.
After the bring in bet has been made the action switches to the player immediately to the left of the player who made the bring in wager. At this point, that player can call, raise or fold depending on their hand and this action continues around the table until every player in the hand has had a chance to act. If you wish to raise in this round you must raise exactly the minimum bet in the game, so for example in a $10/$20 you would bet $10.
Next begins the second round of betting known as fourth street where the players are dealt a fourth card face up (so you know how 2 down and 2 up). The action starts with the player that received the highest card but unlike the first round they are not forced to bet and can check or raise. Action then moves to the player to the left of the highest card who can check, call, raise or fold depending on what’s happened before their move. If you are going to raise at this point it would be double the big blind so in $10/$20 you’d bet $40.
Next is fifth street and the players are dealt a fifth card face up and the player with the highest card must act first, they can check or raise. Action moves clockwise around the table with all remaining players in the hand who can check, bet or fold, with raises having to be in multiples of the bigger blind according to the limits.
Sixth street is next and a sixth card is dealt face up and the betting rounds commence as usual. The last round is seventh street and this final card is dealt face down (4 up and 3 down). Betting round commences once again and if any players are remaining in the hand they must showdown their hands which will be compared to determine a winner. Seven card stud uses regular poker hand rankings to determine winners and you are trying to form your best 5 card poker hand against your opponents in order to win the pot.