The game of 7-card stud poker goes back to the very beginning of traditional poker history and is today still a very popular game in casinos and at casual home poker parties as well. Its large following is attracted by its standard structure, familiar to all poker players. Seven card stud rules change slightly from place to place but all are played with a maximum of seven players – this is because of the seven cards dealt to each player and the 52 card make up of a standard deck of cards – and, too, during the course of a game, the dealer will burn four cards. There are less betting rounds than in other forms of poker causing many a house to instigate a rule to call a pre-flop compulsory bet, or ante, to promote both participation in hands and a more complex and challenging game.

If you play holdem exclusively, you will have to learn a new strategy to play 7-card stud. Any one new to the stud games should carefully observe games as they are played and learn well the rules and strategies of betting before even thinking of sitting at the table to play a round or two. Learning strategies of stud as well as other forms of poker will always add to the enjoyment (and profitability) of any form of the game.

A Description of Betting Rounds in 7-Card Stud Poker

The deal commences by dealing two cards face down and one face up to each player. Round one begins in a clockwise direction beginning with the holder of the highest hand (at this point, the top hand would be two aces). The following three rounds are dealt with the cards face up while the final card is dealt face down, which takes us to the highest scoring 5-card showdown hand. Betting rounds do occur between each deal, though the Mississippi form may feature just four rounds of betting and two cards are dealt at the same time for the final deal.

The Workings of 7-Card Stud Strategy

All players must ante in most of the stud games while some go so far as to demand that the player with the lowest scoring hand in round one plays a “bring in” i.e., place a forced bet. Each player receives three cards, two up and the “bring in” player bets first. If there is a tie for the lowest hand, the suit becomes the tiebreaker. At this point the players can choose to bet, fold or raise to the limit the house allows.

Another deal commences with each player being dealt one card, followed by another round of bets starting with the player of the highest hand (three aces tops). In all ensuing rounds, the one who has the best visible cards can opt to bet or check to start the round. After all the cards have been dealt, the cards should be ordered in the players hands with two down cards, four up cards and finally, one down card.

Similar to the games of holdem and Omaha poker, the player whose hand consists of the highest ranked cards or card combinations wins. There are no community cards in stud poker, which is unusual as is the fact that the hands have a few face-up cards. Beyond that difference, the card rankings are the same with the Royal Flush leading the way, followed by the straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, pair, with high cards at the low end of the ranking scale. Sound strategies will use the strength of your hand as the base, with the visible cards and betting schematics of your opponents as major components. Do not forget to get a sense of how rich the pot is.

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