Seven-Card Stud
Seven-Card Stud is one of the most popular poker games after Texas Hold'em. It is most frequently at the east coast in the USA and in some European countries. In the US they usually play Seven-Card Stud with the fixed limit structure and in Europe they play it with pot limit structure. The key skills to be a good Seven-Card Stud player are a good memory and math.
The Rules of Seven-Card Stud
The goal is to make the best five-card hand (poker hand) from seven cards dealt to each player. Three cards are faced down, the first two and the last one, and four cards are faced up.
There are five betting rounds in Seven-Card Stud. The most common way of playing is with fixed limits, if so, the bets are doubled on the last three rounds. Seven-Card Stud is usually played with an ante that every player pays before the start of the hand.
How to play Seven-Card Stud
Third Street
To begin with the players post the ante that is a mandatory bet. It is usually 1/10 of the small bet size. When that is done the dealer gives each player two cards face down and the third card is faced up, it's done clockwise and one card at a time.
The player with the lowest up-card pays the bring-in, which is the second mandatory bet in Seven-Card Stud. The bring-in is the size of a half small bet but the player has the option of completing the bet, which means that he or she bets a full small bet. Next is the player to the left of the bring-in who has the usual option of calling, folding or raising. The first raise on the third street is always a completing bet that completes the bring-in to a full small bet.
Play continues clockwise to the button and the dealer gives remaining players a fourth card which is open.
Fourth Street
When the fourth card has been dealt it's the player with the highest hand that is first to act. If a player has paired the board he or she has the option of making a double bet, the bets are then double the rest of the betting round. Otherwise play continues as usual to the last player and the dealer gives each player an open fifth card.
Fifth Street
In fixed limit games this level is different because the bets are doubled from the previous rounds. For the rest of the hand players now make big bets on the remaining betting rounds. When the players have made their move a sixth open card is dealt so that each player has two cards faced down and four open cards in front of them.
Sixth Street
Betting continues as usual with highest hand being first and players make big bets.
When betting is done the last and seventh card is dealt face down to remaining players.
Seventh Street
This is the final betting round also known as the river. The player with the highest open board bets first and when all players have made their move there's a showdown where the best five-card hand wins the pot.