Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud was once the poker game played in most casinos. Hold'em may be more popular today, but Stud is still widely played.
Stud differs dramatically to flop games, as there are no community cards. It's vital for players to remember which cards their opponents have, even the ones they have folded.
Rules
Seven Card Stud is played as a limit game, with antes and forced 'bring in' bets, instead of blinds. Players post an ante at the start of each hand. Each player is dealt three cards, the first two down and the third up. The player with the lowest value up card (the 2 of Clubs being the lowest possible) has the option to make a bring in bet or a full small bet. Play then continues around the table, with players having the option to fold, call, or raise. If a player has made a bring in bet, their first raise will actually 'complete the bet', making the total bet the size of one small bet ($5 in a $5-$10 game). This betting round is called 3rd street and at its conclusion players still in the hand will receive another card, face up.
The next betting round is 4th street. This time, the player with the highest hand showing is the first to act. If that player has a pair, they have the option to make either a small or big bet. If no player has a pair, all bets for the round will be in small bet increments. At the conclusion of this round of betting, each player is dealt another card, face up. This is 5th street, and the action is the same as 4th street, except that all bets are now in the big bet increment ($10 in a $5-$10 game). Next is 6th street, which is identical to 5th street.
After 6th street, players still in the hand are dealt a final card, face down. This brings the final round of betting and is known as 7th street. The player showing the highest hand on 6th street leads the betting. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot.
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