Learn 7 card stud

Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold ‘em, seven-card stud was the most popular poker variant in home games across the United States.

How to play

The game begins with each player being dealt two cards face down and one card face up. If played with a bring-in, the player with the lowest-ranking upcard pays the bring-in, and betting proceeds after that in normal clockwise order. The bring-in is considered an open, so the next player in turn may not check. If two players have equally ranked low cards, suit may be used to break the tie and assign the bring-in (see high card by suit). If there is no bring-in, then the first betting round begins with the player showing the highest-ranking upcard, who may check. In this case, suit should not be used to break ties. If two players have the same high upcard, the one first in clockwise rotation from the dealer acts first.

After the first betting round, another upcard is dealt to each player (after a burn card, and starting at the dealer’s left as will all subsequent rounds), followed by a second betting round beginning with the player whose upcards make the best poker hand. Since fewer than five cards are face up, this means no straights, flushes, or full houses will count for this purpose. On this and all subsequent betting rounds, the player whose face-up cards make the best poker hand will act first, and may check or bet up to the game’s limit.

The second round is followed by a third upcard and betting round, a fourth upcard and betting round, and finally a downcard, a fifth betting round, and showdown if necessary. Seven-card stud can be summarized therefore as “two down, four up, one down”. Upon showdown, each player makes the best five-card poker hand he can out of the seven cards he was dealt.

Note that seven cards to eight players plus four burn cards makes 60 cards, and there are only 52 in the deck. In most games this is not a problem because several players will have folded in early betting rounds. But there are certainly low-stakes home games where few if any players fold. If this is the case in your game, you may want to limit the game to seven players. If the deck does become exhausted during play, previously-dealt burn cards can be used when only a few cards are needed to complete the deal. If even those are not sufficient, then on the final round instead of dealing a downcard to each player, a single community card is dealt to the center of the table, and is shared by everyone (that is, each player treats it as his seventh card). Under no circumstances can any discarded card from a folded hand be “recycled” for later use. Unlike draw poker, where no cards are ever seen before showdown, stud poker players use the information they get from face-up cards to make strategic decisions, and so a player who sees a certain card folded is entitled to make decisions knowing that the card will never appear in another opponent’s hand.

Strategy

This variation of poker rewards careful observation and memorization of cards and player tendencies.  As te game progresses through its different stages the strategies change slightly.

The Ante, Deal, and Bring In

Most 7 card stud tables require an ante of every player before being dealt any cards.  After everyone has “ante’d up”, each player is dealt 3 cards, 2 face down and one face up.  This is called third street.  The face up card is called your doorcard.  Unlike Hold ‘em, there is no button, rather, the player with the lowest doorcard posts what is referred to as the bring in.  If two or more players have the same value card, the bring in is determined by suit value.  Suit values from lowest to highest are: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades.  Players to the left of the bring in then have the option of folding, calling or raising the bring in bet.

4th Street – 6th Street

These betting rounds are almost identical.  Each round, each player gets another card face up.  Unlike 3rd street however, it is the high hand showing that determines where the betting action starts.  As you can probably guess, position does not play as important a role in 7 stud, simply because your position in order of action can change every round!  The only other difference of note is that the limits go up on 5th street.  If you are playing a $5-$10 table, 3rd and 4th street’s max raise is $5 per bet.  5th, 6th and 7th street, the limit goes to $10 per bet.  The later streets of 7 stud can be expensive indeed.

7th Street

Everyone is dealt their 7th and final card face down.  For the astute reader, this brings us to a total of 7 cards per person, 3 face down, 4 showing.  The cards showing are often referred to as a player’s porch.  As in the streets before, there is a betting round after the 7th card is dealt, with the beginning action determined by who has the highest ranked porch.

Showdown

If more than one player remains after betting on 7th street, a showdown occurs and the winner is determined by who has the best 5 card hand, formed from their 7 cards dealt.  Unfortunately, theres no such thing as “3 pair“.  Standard best 5 card hand rules apply.

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