Seven Card Stud was the most popular poker game in the United States before Texas Hold’em took over. There are no community cards: each player gets seven cards of their own, three face down and four face up, and makes the best five-card hand. It is almost always played with fixed-limit betting.
How a hand of stud is dealt
- Antes: every player posts a small ante.
- Third street: each player gets two cards face down and one face up (the “door card”).
- The bring-in: the player with the lowest face-up card must make a small forced bet called the bring-in. If two players show the same rank, suit breaks the tie (in most rooms clubs are lowest, then diamonds, hearts and spades). The bring-in can instead complete the bet to the full small bet.
- Fourth, fifth and sixth street: each player gets one more face-up card, with a betting round after each.
- Seventh street (the river): a final card face down, then the last betting round and showdown.
Who acts first
On third street, the bring-in acts first. From fourth street on, the player whose face-up cards make the best showing hand acts first.
Limit betting
In a $10/$20 stud game, bets on third and fourth street are $10, and bets on fifth, sixth and seventh are $20. If a player shows an open pair on fourth street, players may usually bet the bigger amount. Most rooms cap betting at one bet and three or four raises per round.
Beginner strategy tips
- Watch the up-cards. If you need hearts and four hearts are showing in other hands, your draw is much weaker.
- Start with strong hands: rolled-up trips, big pairs, and three cards to a flush or straight with high cards.
- Remember folded cards. Memory is a real skill in stud.
Stud is part of the H.O.R.S.E. rotation. See the hand rankings and track your stud results in the free poker tracker.