Seven Card Stud Poker: How to Play

Stud poker is any type of poker where players make use of both upcards (cards that are dealt face-up) and downcards (also known as “hole cards”; any card that is concealed from other players) to build the strongest hand, according to standard poker hand rankings. 

While Seven-Card Stud is the best known and most played variety of stud poker, there are a ton of different types of Stud poker you can learn and enjoy.

How do you play seven card stud poker, how can you improve your game, and what are some of the different types you can try?

How to Play Seven Card Stud

Seven-Card Stud and Five-Card Stud are essentially the same game, but seven-card stud gives players a few more options than Five-Card. As Seven-Card Stud is the more popular version, this section will detail how to play it, though we’ll also note any changes to make when playing Five-Card Stud. No matter which version you’re playing, the goal is the same: construct the highest-ranking hand as you can using five cards.

Step 1 - The Ante

All players contribute an initial bet, known as the Ante. There are three main types of bets in seven-card stud poker: the Big Bet, the Small Bet, and the Ante. The Big Bet is typically twice the value of the Small Bet, with the Ante being 10% of the Big Bet. If the Big Bet in your game is $1, the Small Bet would be 50 cents, and the Ante would be 10 cents.

Step 2 - The Deal

Each player is dealt two face-down cards and one face-up card. The upcard is also known as a “door card”. In Five-Card Stud, players are dealt one face-down card and one face-up card. The player with the lowest door card makes the “bring in”, or first bet, and this kicks off the first round of betting.

Step 3 - Fourth Street

Most rounds of Stud poker are known as “streets”. In Seven-Card Stud, this is where players would be dealt their fourth card. In Five-Card Stud, players receive their third card, so this step is known as Third Street.

Before dealing every subsequent round of cards, the dealer should discard or “burn” the top card of the deck.

Regardless of the type of Stud poker you’re playing, cards dealt during the street rounds are door cards. Following the extra card being dealt, there is another round of betting.

Step 4 - Fifth Street

Players are dealt another door card, after which there is a round of betting.

Step 5 - Sixth Street

Players are dealt another door card, followed by another round of betting. In Five-Card Stud, this would be Fifth Street, meaning it would be the final card to be dealt. There would be one final round of betting before the game goes to Showdown, if necessary.

Step 6 - The River

In the River (also known as Seventh Street), players are dealt one final hole card, giving them four door cards and three hole cards with which to construct the highest ranking poker hand they can. After the last card is dealt, there is one final round of betting. In Five-Card Stud, this phase is omitted.

Step 7 - The Showdown

If there is still more than one player in the game, the Showdown is where hands are revealed, with the highest ranked poker hand winning. Among the remaining players, the one who was the first bettor or last one to raise shows their hand first.

Hand Rankings in Seven Card Stud

Standard 7 card poker rules state that the objective of seven card stud poker is to make the best five-card hand out of seven cards either dealt or shown. It follows standard poker hand rankings which are as follows:

• Royal Flush - 10-A
• Straight flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

Variations of Stud Poker

Seven card stud is one of the most popular variations of stud poker, but there are several varieties of stud poker you can play including five card stud, Caribbean stud, razz poker and more.

Five Card Stud

Five card stud is played exactly the same way as seven card stud poker - using five cards, of course. 

Razz Poker

Razz poker is an interesting take on stud poker that doesn’t rely on traditional hand rankings. Instead of trying to assemble the best hand, Razz poker has players trying to assemble the lowest hand. Razz poker is played virtually identically to Seven-Card Stud poker, so if you enjoy the latter, you’ll likely have a ton of fun with the former.

Caribbean Stud Poker

One of the most popular Stud poker variants is Caribbean Stud Poker. Caribbean Stud is exceptionally unique in that it is not played against other players; instead, it is played at a land-based or online casino against the house.

Based on Five-Card Stud, the game begins with players making Ante bets. The dealer and all players then receive five face-down cards, with the dealer revealing one of their cards. Players can choose to either play or fold; if they play, they have to raise, making another wager that is twice the size of their initial Ante bet. After the betting has been decided, all cards are revealed.

The dealer qualifies only if their hand contains an Ace and a King, a pair, or is otherwise a high-ranked poker hand. If the hand doesn’t quality, the ante bets win even money and the raise bets push. If the hand qualifies, the dealer compares their hand to all of the player hands, with payouts based on the strength of their hand if they are able to beat the dealer’s. If they tie with the dealer, the bets push.

Caribbean Stud Poker pays out as follows:

Mississippi Stud Poker

Similar to Caribbean Stud Poker, Mississippi Stud is played at a casino against the house. However, what makes Mississippi Stud unique is that it is not played against a dealer’s hand; instead, it is played against a payout table, where the money won depends on the cards a player has in their hand.

Mississippi Stud Poker pays out as follows:

Situational Rules in Seven Card Stud

• When a betting round begins and the high hands are a tie, the player in the position nearest to the dealer wins.
• Seven card stud poker is played with 52 cards. If you have a full table of eight players, and everyone is able to remain in the game until the river, there will not be enough cards to deal to the table. In this situation, the dealer will turn up a single card up as the river, and then players will use it as the last card to finalize their hands.
• In many home games, the ante is passed over. In most casinos, however seven-card-stud is played with an ante. If you wish to participate in a hand you must pay the ante before the deal begins. 

Tips for Playing Stud Poker

Like Omaha poker and Texas Hold’em poker, Stud poker games can be easy to learn but hard to master. Here are a few tips to help you get ahead in your next game.

Pay Attention to Door Cards (and Burn Cards)

One of the biggest differences between Stud poker and other types is that you have a significant amount of information about the hands of other players at your disposal. By paying attention to which cards other players have as door cards and which cards have been burned, you can make more informed decisions about whether you should press on, play aggressively, or fold.

Keep Playing

Not only should you play as much Stud poker as possible to better learn the game, you should also strive to keep chasing the pot when you do play. Because players are dealt more cards over the course of the game - and in the case of Seven-Card Stud, they don’t need to use every card they’re dealt - you should play any hand that can improve.

Know the Odds

Probability tells us that getting three cards in any one suit or sequence is unlikely from the outset. If you can’t improve your hand in any meaningful way after receiving a couple of extra cards, you might want to consider folding. Similarly, if you have a strong high card after the initial deal, you should aim to stay in the game for as long as you can.

You can probably now see why seven-card stud poker is so popular amongst seasoned poker players. By now you should understand how to play 7 card stud, have a good handle on how you deal 7 card stud and understand the top 7 card poker hands. 

By learning all the 7 card poker rules, you can begin to perfect your own strategies and have endless fun learning variations like Razz Poker, Five Card Stud, Caribbean Poker and more. If you want additional poker tips and strategies, visit our online poker page for essential information you won’t want to miss.