A Beginners Guide to Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud was the most popular form of poker in the world up until the recent explosion in popularity by Texas Holdem. It is one of many stud poker rules variants, and the most commonly played. Each player receives seven cards each (four up and three down) and must use these to make the best possible five card poker hand using standard poker rules. There are several betting rounds which are also known as streets, from 3rd street – 7th street. The following guide describes the poker rules for a Fixed Limit Seven Card Stud hand (Seven Card Stud is rarely, if ever, played using Pot Limit or No Limit poker rules).
Starting a Hand
A hand of Seven Card Stud begins with all players paying an ante, which is a small forced bet before anyone has received any cards. The ante is normally around 1/3 of the small bet. So, in a €3/€6 game where the small bet is €3, the ante could be €1. Once all players have posted an ante, cards are dealt out, starting with the player to the dealers left (there is no dealer button in Seven Card Stud, so cards are distributed based on the person who is physically dealing the cards). Each player is given three cards – two cards face down and then one card face up.
3rd Street
The player with the lowest upcard showing must begin the betting with a “bring-in”. This is a forced bet normally equal to around 1/3 to 1/2 of the small bet. In Seven Card Stud poker rules, if there are more than two players with the same value up-card, then suits are used to determine who acts first. The order from lowest to highest is as follows: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades (alphabetical order), so the 2c is the lowest possible card. However, suits have no effect on the final hand rankings. The player to the left of the bring-in has the option to fold (muck his hand and take no further action in the pot), call (put in an amount equal to the bring-in) or “complete” (take the bring-in bet up to the value of a full small bet). After the bet has been completed, the next player has the option to raise (put in an extra small bet in addition to the previous bet) instead of complete. Play continues in this manner around the table until all players have matched the current bet amount or folded. The bring-in contributes to the player’s bet – however, if no one raises before action gets round to the bring-in player again, he does not have the option of re-opening the betting. Instead, he has the option at the start of the hand -to bring in for a full small bet instead of the smaller bring-in. Normal fixed limit rules dictate there is a maximum of 3 raises on any betting round.
4th Street
When all betting is complete, another card is dealt face up to each player. This is known as 4th street, and bets at this stage are of the lower betting limit (so €3 in the same €3€/6 game). One exception to this is if one player has a pair showing, any player has the option to bet or raise either a small bet or a big bet. However, once someone has bet or raised a big bet, then all bets must be of this amount. This time, betting begins with the player whose upcards show the highest hand, and he has the option to check or bet. A check is simply declining the opportunity to bet, and can only be done if there have been no bets so far. Play continues in a clockwise direction until all players have matched the required bet or folded.
5th & 6th Street
The next two streets (called 5th street and 6th street) are identical in structure. Each player receives an additional card face up, then there is a round of betting. Bets at this stage are of the higher betting limit (so €6 in the same €3/€6 game), and again betting begins with the player whose upcards show the highest hand. Play continues in a clockwise direction until all players have matched the required bet or folded.
7th Street
The last round in a hand of Seven Card Stud is called 7th street, and it begins with each player receiving their last card, face down. All players remaining in the hand should now have seven cards – two down, followed by four up, and a final one down. If there are insufficient cards to give a card to each player, then one card shall be placed face up in the middle of the table. This is considered to be everyone’s last card and any player may use it in their final five card poker hand. A round of betting identical to 5th & 6th street now occurs, and if there are two or more players still in the hand, then there is a showdown.
Showdown
All players still left in the hand at this stage now turn their cards over. In Seven Card Stud, each player may use any combination of their seven cards in his hand to form the best possible five card hand using standard poker rules. The best hand at the showdown wins the pot, and if there are two or more hands of the same value, then the pot is split up into equal parts.
Seven Card Stud at MrPoker.com
Download MrPoker now and enjoy all the fun and excitement of Seven Card Stud.
