Stud poker is an “open” game in which most of a player’s cards are displayed on the table. Therefore players can form an idea of the strength of other players’ hands and bet accordingly, although each player has at least one “hole” card which remains concealed until the showdown. Since poker is a five-card game it is natural that the earliest form of stud poker was five-card stud. In this game each player’s first card is dealt face down and known only to the owner, but the other four are dealt face up with a betting round after each.
Although Five-Card Stud was overtaken in popularity in the late 20th century by Seven-Card Stud and community games such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, it is still a popular variant of the game.

Five-Card Stud

A standard 52-card pack is used, and since only five cards per player are dealt, it is possible for up to 10 people to play.

The sequence of events is as follows (as usual the cards are dealt clockwise one at a time):
All players place an ante in the pot, with each player is dealt one card face down and one face up, and there is a betting round.
Each player is dealt a third card face up and there is a second betting round.
Each player is dealt a fourth card face up, followed by a third betting round.
Each player is dealt a fifth card face up and there is a final betting round.
Surviving players show their cards and the best five-card hand wins the pot.

The concealed card – the first dealt to each player – is sometimes known as the “hole” card.
Traditionally, each betting round is begun by the player with the best hand showing. For this purpose pairs, triplets, two pairs and quads count in their normal poker order – so for example with three cards showing 3-3-3 is higher than 7-7-8, which is higher than A-K-Q. Incomplete straights and flushes do not count. If there is a tie it is resolved by comparing the suits of the highest cards in the tied hands using the ranking order clubs (low), diamonds, hearts, spades (high).

The first betting round usually starts with a compulsory (bring-in) bet by the player showing the lowest card. This is now the normal rule in formal games hosted by American casinos. The subsequent betting rounds are begun by the highest hand showing as usual.

Five-Card Stud is often played as a fixed-limit game with the following arrangements. A small bet and a big bet size are determined – say for example $5 and $10. When there is a compulsory bring-in bet, the ante amount is generally much smaller than the small bet – say $0.50 in the example. The compulsory bring-in bet is normally less than the small bet but more than the ante – say $2 in the example. The player who opens the betting has the option to place a full small bet ($5) instead of just the compulsory minimum $2.

If the opener just places the minimum bring-in, subsequent players have the option to complete the bet to a small bet ($5), to call the bring-in ($2) or to fold. Only if someone completes the bet are later players allowed to raise. If the opener chooses to begin with a full bet ($5), subsequent players can raise.

In the first betting round no big bets are allowed. If there is no compulsory bet in the first betting round, then a larger ante should be used, and only full small bets are allowed in the first betting round. Only one bet and a maximum of three raises are allowed in any betting round, if there were more than two active players at the start of the betting round. A bring-in of less than a small bet does not count as a bet for this purpose – after it is completed there can be three raises.

In the second betting round, when players have two face up cards, big bets ($10) are allowed if any player has a pair (or better) showing. In this case anyone can place a big bet or raise, even if they do not themselves have a pair. Note that if the rule is played that each raise must be at least as large as the last bet or raise, then after a player places a big bet, only big raises are allowed in that round. However, many home poker games do not have this rule, in which case a player may respond to a big bet with a small raise, thereby “using up” one of the three raises and limiting the potential size of the pot.

Some play that in the last two betting rounds, after players are dealt their fourth and fifth cards, only big bets are allowed. This is the normal rule in casino hosted games, but not in home poker games.

Seven-Card Stud

Each player is dealt a seven-card hand, some of the cards being face up, with several betting rounds during the deal. At the showdown players use any five of their seven cards to make the best poker hand.
Seven-card stud works well as a high-low game, and there is also a low only form known as Razz.
A standard 52-pack is used and from two to eight players can take part. The game is best for five to seven players. When eight play there is the problem that the cards may run out towards the end of the deal.

As usual the cards are dealt clockwise one at a time, with all players putting an ante in the pot.
Each player is dealt two cards face down and one face up, after which there is a betting round (third street).

A fourth card is dealt face up and there is a second betting round (fourth street). This is followed by another card being dealt face up and there is a third betting round (fifth street).

A sixth card is dealt face up and there is a fourth betting round (sixth street), after which each remaining player is dealt one final card face down. There is a fifth betting round (seventh street).
Surviving players have four face-up and three face-down cards. They show their cards and whoever can make the best five-card hand from their seven cards wins the pot.

Traditionally, each betting round is begun by the player with the best hand showing. For this purpose pairs, triplets, two pairs and quads count in their normal poker order – so for example with three cards showing 3-3-3 is higher than 7-7-8, which is higher than A-K-Q.

Incomplete straights and flushes do not count. If there is a tie it is resolved by comparing the suits of the highest cards in the tied hands using the ranking order clubs (low), diamonds, hearts, spades (high).

Some play that the first betting round starts with a compulsory (bring-in) bet by the player showing the lowest card. This is now the normal rule in formal games hosted by American casinos. The subsequent betting rounds from fourth street onwards are begun by the highest hand showing as usual.

Seven-Card Stud is often played as a fixed-limit game with the following arrangements. A small bet and a big bet size are determined – say for example $5 and $10. When there is a compulsory bring-in bet, the ante amount is generally much smaller than the small bet – say $0.50 in the example. The compulsory bring-in bet is normally less than the small bet but more than the ante – say $2 in the example.
The player who opens the betting has the option to place a full small bet ($5) instead of just the compulsory minimum $2.

If the opener just places the minimum bring-in, subsequent players have the option to complete the bet to a small bet ($5), to call the bring-in ($2) or to fold. Only if someone completes the bet are later players allowed to raise. If the opener chooses to begin with a full bet ($5), subsequent players can raise.

In the first betting round (third street) no big bets are allowed. If there is no compulsory bet in the first betting round, then a larger ante should be used, and only full small bets are allowed in the first betting round.

Only one bet and a maximum of three raises are allowed in any betting round, if there were more than two active players at the start of the betting round. A bring-in of less than a small bet does not count as a bet for this purpose – after it is completed there can be three raises.

From fourth street onward, big bets ($10) are allowed if any player has a pair (or better) showing. In this case anyone can place a big bet or raise, even if they do not themselves have a pair.

Note that if the rule is played that each raise must be at least as large as the last bet or raise, then after a player places a big bet, only big raises are allowed in that round. However, many home poker games do not have this rule, in which case a player may respond to a big bet with a small raise, thereby “using up” one of the three raises and limiting the potential size of the pot.

Some play that from fifth street onwards, only big bets are allowed. This is the normal rule in casino hosted games, but not in home poker games.

If there are eight players and after sixth street no one has folded, there will not be enough cards to deal everyone a seventh card. In this case a single “community” card is dealt face up to the table and this counts as everyone’s seventh card. Everyone then effectively has five cards showing, including the community card, and seventh street betting is begun by the player for whom this makes the highest poker hand – straights and flushes not count. Ties are resolved by the suit of the highest card as usual.

In formal games it is usual for the dealer to “burn” one card – placing the top card of the deck face down under the pot – at each stage of the deal. In this case the cards can run out even with only seven players. If the dealer determines there are not enough cards to complete the deal, the burned cards are retrieved from under the pot and shuffled with the remains of the deck, and if possible a card is then dealt to each player.

Note that in no case are cards discarded by a player who has folded returned to the deck to be dealt. These cards are dead.

Seven Card Stud High-Low

The deal and betting are mostly the same as in ordinary seven-card stud. Some play that in high-low games, a pair showing does not give players the option of a big bet or raise.

At the showdown, each player selects five cards to make a high hand and five possibly different cards to make a low hand. The pot is split equally between the highest and lowest hands, the odd chip going to the high hand if the amount cannot be divided exactly by two. Any of the possible low hand ranking methods can be used.

Since different selections of cards can be used for the high and low hands, it is entirely possible for one player to win both halves of the pot.

In formal games, the rule is that “the cards speak for themselves”. That is – at the showdown each player is entitled to compete with the highest and lowest hand that can be made from his or her seven cards, even if the player does not correctly identify the best selections of five cards.

Eight Or Better

In formal games there is often a qualification rule that a low hand cannot contain any card higher than an eight. In this case the ace-to-five system of low hand ranking is used. This variant is called Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight Or Better. If none of the players has a qualifying low hand at the showdown, the high hand wins the whole pot.