Seven Card Stud Basic Rules

Before the popularity of Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud (also called Stud High or simply Stud) was probably the most well-known poker game in the world. It remains a classic poker game that takes true poker skills to master.

The goal of Seven Card Stud is to make the highest ranking five-card poker hand by using a combination of the seven cards that will eventually be dealt. If you are unfamiliar with how traditional poker hands are ranked, see the poker hand rankings page to learn the order. Unlike Hold’em and Omaha, Stud is not a flop game and therefore does not use community cards that are shared among players.

How to Play Seven Card Stud High

There are typically eight players in a full Stud game. Stud is usually played as a limit game, meaning the players must bet and raise in specific chip increments. The limits double after the first two betting rounds and remain larger for the subsequent three rounds.

For example, if you are playing in a $5/$10 Stud game, the small bet amount is $5 and the large bet amount is $10. So, in the first two betting rounds you will be betting in increments of $5 and in the last three rounds you will be betting in increments of $10.

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Seven Card Stud Antes

In Stud, every player is forced to post an ante before the cards are dealt. These antes are used to seed the pot and are collected before the deal. Antes are the cost of being dealt in and must be posted to receive a hand.

Seven Card Stud Third Street Action

Beginning with the player seated to the immediate left of the dealer, each player is dealt two hole cards (dealt face down and hidden from other players) and one up card (dealt face up and sometimes called a ‘door card’). These initial three cards are called Third Street.

The player who has been dealt the lowest ranking up card is now forced to post a small predetermined amount called the bring-in. In instances when two or more players hold the same ranking up card, the tie is broken by the suits of the cards, which are ranked in alphabetical order: clubs are the lowest, followed by diamonds, hearts and then spades, which are the highest. The lower suit will be required to bring-in. If the player showing the lowest up card was all in for the ante and therefore cannot post the bring-in bet, the player to their immediate left is required to post it, no matter what the ranking of their exposed card.

Beginning with the player seated to the immediate left of the bring-in, each player has several options. They can complete the bring-in (which means they increase the bring-in amount to a full-sized structured bet), call the bring-in amount, or fold and forfeit their hand. Players cannot check (pass on the action) on this street because they must at least post the amount of the bring-in to continue playing their hand.

After any player completes the bet, their opponents face the decision to call, raise the small bet amount (e.g. $5 in a $5/$10 game), or fold. The action moves clockwise around the table until all players have acted.

In PokerStars limit games, there are only four bets allowed on each street. This means that if one player bets, there can only be three raises before the pot is ‘capped’, meaning no more bets are permitted on that street.

Seven Card Stud Fourth Street Action

Once the first round of betting is complete, another up card is dealt to each player remaining in the hand. This card is called Fourth Street and is visible to all other players. Players now have two hole cards and two up cards in front of them.

On Fourth Street, the action begins with the player whose up cards create the highest ranking two card poker hand. For example, if there was one player showing a pair of fours and another player showing a pair of kings, the action would begin with the player holding the kings. This player has the option to check or make a small bet (e.g. $5 in a $5/$10 game). The action continues clockwise and all players may bet or raise in small bet increments, or choose to check if they are facing no bet.

It should be noted that if any player is showing a pair on Fourth Street, it is optional to bet or raise in big bet increments (e.g. $10 in a $5/$10 game) rather than in small bet increments. If someone exercises the option to make a big bet, the remainder of the Fourth Street bets must all be big.

Seven Card Stud Fifth Street Action

Once the Fourth Street betting round is complete, another exposed up card is dealt to each active player at the table. This card is called Fifth Street. Players now have two hole cards and three up cards in front of them.

Just like on Fourth Street, the player with the best exposed poker hand begins the round of betting and it continues clockwise around the table. On Fifth Street the betting limits from the previous streets double to big bets (e.g. $10 in a $5/$10 game).

Seven Card Stud Sixth Street Action

A fourth and final up card is now dealt to all active players, which is called Sixth Street. Players now have two hole cards and four up cards in front of them. Again, the player with the highest ranking exposed poker hand starts the betting in big bet increments ($10 in a $5/$10 game). The action continues clockwise around the table until all players have acted.

7 Card Stud Seventh Street Action

All players are now dealt a final hole card which cannot be seen by their opponents. This is the last card dealt in a hand of Seven Card Stud and is called Seventh Street, or The River. Players now have three hole cards and four up cards in front of them.

In rare instances, there will not be enough cards in the deck to deal Seventh Street. In this situation, a single community up card is dealt in the center of the table and is shared by all players in the hand.

Once again, the player whose up cards create the best poker hand is first to act. There is a final round of betting (again, in big bet increments) in the same clockwise fashion until every player has acted.

Seven Card Stud Showdown

After the final round of betting, the hands are compared and a winner is determined by who holds the highest ranking five card poker hand by using any combination of the seven they have been dealt. This is called a Showdown. The pot is awarded to a single player, unless two or more players hold hands of identical value, in which case the pot is divided evenly among them.

If at any time during the play of the hand there is only one player remaining, that player will be awarded the pot, no more cards will be dealt and there won’t be a Showdown.

Stud Poker Variations

There are several other types of Stud offered at PokerStars, including:

• Stud Hi/Lo - This variation of Stud is also called Stud Eight or Better, or Stud 8. Players compete for the best high and low poker hands and often split pots, depending on their opponents’ holdings. Stud Hi/Lo is almost always played with betting limits.
• Razz - Also known as Stud Low, Razz is a variation of Stud in which players are competing for the lowest poker hand. Also generally played as a limit game, Razz is known for its wealth of action that often creates large pots.

Play Seven Card Stud Online for Free

Are you ready to take your new knowledge of Stud to the tables? Then practice in any of the free poker games offered at PokerStars. Once you get the basics, there are many real money Stud cash games and tournaments running online at PokerStars. Download the free PokerStars software and start playing Stud.