How to Play Seven Card Stud

One of the less popular but still more common poker games is the game known as seven card stud. There is no way you can call yourself a poker player if you do not know how to play this game. Seven Card Stud is a classic, and you must learn how to play if you do not already. Just like all of the other poker games, the basic objective is to have the best possible five card poker hand. At the end of the hand the player with the best five card hand will win.

Seven Card Stud is quite a bit different then the more popular game of Texas Hold'em. There are no community cards. Every player has their own cards and only those cards to work with. Each player will end up with a total of seven cards at the end of the hand, unless they fold.

To start off the game, each player is dealt three cards. Two cards are dealt down while one is left up for everyone to see. After this each player will have a chance to bet. The betting will go around the table, and each player will have the option. If the player does not want to call whatever bet is made, they will fold. If they want to stay in they can call or they can raise. The player with the highest card showing will start off the betting.

Once this round of betting is over with, there will be another card dealt face up, followed by another round of betting. Just like the first round of betting, the player with the highest showing hand would lead the second round of betting. Once again, the betting will go around the table until it gets back to the player who started it.

After the second round of betting, another card is flipped face up to each player. At this point, there are two cards face down and there are three cards facing upwards. Only the players that are still in the hand will get dealt cards. The ones who opt to fold do not get any other cards once they fold. One they choose to fold, they are out of the hand for good. Just like the rest of the rounds of betting, this one is no different. The betting will start with the player with the best hand showing. The betting will go around the table, and then another card will get dealt face up.

From here, there will be two more rounds of betting along with two more cards. Each player that is in the hand still, will get one more card (the sixth card) face up. They will repeat betting in the same way, then move onto the last round. During the last round of play, they will each get one last card face down. At this point every player will have seven cards, and this will complete the distribution of cards from the dealer. There will be one last round of betting followed by a showdown. At the showdown, the player with the best five card poker hand will win the hand and take down all of the money in the pot. If there is a tie (which is not as common in this poker game) then you will split what is in the pot.

Seven card stud is a much longer game then most poker games. Each hand can last a long time. This is one reason why people find the game so attractive. It is nice to be able to enjoy your poker game and spend a good amount of time playing, win or loose. You can sit down at a No Limit Texas Hold'em game and be done within one minute. That doesn't happen with a game like seven card stud.