Seven-Card Stud
The interest for Seven-Card Stud has decreased when Texas Hold'em became popular. But it's still played and enjoyed by many poker players around the world. It's a game that requires the players to have good memory and math skills in order to fully master the game.
Basic Concept
The idea is for the players to make the best five-card hand (poker hand) from seven cards dealt to each player. Three cards are faced down, the first two and the last one, and four are faced up. Up to eight players may participate at the same time. There are five betting rounds in Seven-Card Stud. The most common way of playing is with fixed limits, if so, the bets are doubled on the last three rounds. Seven-Card Stud is usually played with an ante that every player pay before the start of the hand.
If you are a Stud Poker fan, these are great rooms to play at:
Party Poker
Inter Poker
PokerRoom
How a hand is played
Third Street
At first, the players pay the ante which is the forced bet everyone has to lay. It is usually 1/10 of the small bet size. When that is done the dealer gives each player two cards face down and the third card is faced up, it's done clockwise and one card at a time. The player with the lowest card pays the bring-in, which is the second forced bet in Seven-Card Stud. The bring-in is the size of a half small bet but the player has the option of completing the bet, which means that he or she bets a full small bet. Next is the player to the left of the bring-in who has the usual option of calling, folding or raising. The first raise on the third street is always a completing bet that completes the bring-in to a full small bet. Play continues clockwise to the button and the dealer gives remaining players a fourth card which is open.
Fourth Street
When the fourth card has been dealt it's the player with the highest hand that is first to act. If a player has paired the board he or she has the option of making a double bet, then are the bets double the rest of the betting round. Otherwise play continues as usual to the last player and the dealer gives each player an open fifth card.
Fifth Street
The players are dealt a fifth open card and betting continues as usual with the highest hand being first to act. In fixed limit games this level is different because the bets are doubled from the previous round. For the rest of the hand players now make big bets all the way to showdown. When the players have made their move a sixth open card is dealt so that each player has two cards faced down and four open cards in front of them.
Sixth Street
Betting continues as usual with highest hand being first and players make big bets.
When betting is done the last and seventh card is dealt face down to remaining players.
Seventh Street
This is the final betting round in Seven-Card Stud. It is also known as the river. The player with the highest open board bets first and when all players have made their move there's a showdown where the best five-card hand wins the pot. Players lay the ante, the dealer button moves one position to the left and a new hand may begin.
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