Seven Card Stud is a popular poker variant with many streets of action and betting. As the name suggests, players aim to make the best possible hand they can during the seven streets, or win the pot by pushing out other players.
Here’s how the game plays out.
The Game
7-Card Stud is usually played with 2-8 players and is generally played as a limit game, although Pot Limit is also available. Cash games are referred to by the small and big bets used within the game. (e.g. $1/$2 7 Stud has the small bet set at $1 and the big bet set at $2.)
Depending on the local rules, players may have to pay an ante into the pot before receiving cards. This ante will typically be around 1/10 of the small bet.
The Deal
Each player is now dealt three cards, two facing down, one facing up. The player with the lowest-ranked downcard showing (aces count high) must pay the “bring-in” to continue. He can bring in for half of the small bet, or for the full amount.
Action now proceeds clockwise round the table from this player. The player to the “bring-in”’s left must call the bring-in amount, raise one small bet or fold. Once he completes his action the player to his left acts similarly and so on until the last raise at the table has been called.
If any point during this or any other betting round, a player makes a bet that is not called (and this includes the bring-in) he then wins the pot and play moves onto the next hand.
(NB: In Limit poker, the amount of bets that can be made on one single street tends to be capped at 4. Some venues and rules allow uncapped betting on seventh street however.)
All remaining players are now dealt a further card face up. All streets from 4th to 7th begin with the player with the best poker hand showing in his upcards, acting first.
This player can make a small bet or check and action proceeds clockwise from him, with players either calling or raising the current bet, or folding.
Big Bets On 5th to 7th Streets
Once all bets have been called, play moves to 5th street (unless someone has already claimed the pot without showdown.) This plays out identically to 4th street with one exception. Again each player receives one up card and the player with the best hand must act first.
However from 5th street onward, all bets made are multiples of the big bet amount.
Once the action is completed, 6th street is dealt out, which sees every player receive an additional upcard, and there is one more round of betting.
Finally 7th street is dealt. This time the card is dealt facedown, there is a further round of betting and if any players remain in the pot, their upcards are shown and the strongest-ranked hand claims the pot.
The hand ranking is the same as that used in Texas Hold’em, with hands being ranked in order of the following(high to low):-
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4-of-a-kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, 3-of-a-kind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card.