7 Card Stud

7 Card Stud is one of the hardest Poker variations to master, so learning the rules thoroughly is crucial. 2-8 players can play, and the objective is to make the best 5 card hand possible. This is done by using 5 of the 7 cards dealt to each player, 3 of which are dealt face down, and the other 4 are dealt face up. There are 5 betting rounds in 7 Card Stud, and during each round the players must bet on the possibility of their hand having the strongest card combination, so that they may win the sum of all the bets made throughout the game, known as the “pot”. Player’s hands are ranked according to standard Poker hand rankings, and betting is limited to a predetermined amount always.

Antes – a compulsory small bet of 1/5 of the lower betting limit is usually used in 7 Card Stud games, called “antes”.
3rd Street – each player is deal 2 cards face down, followed by 1 card face up. The player with the lowest showing card must “bring-in” (place the first bet of the first round), and following players can either call or raise up to the lower betting limit, or fold.
4rd Street – each player receives a 4th card face up. The player with the highest hand must act first, and betting is limited to the lower limit amount.
5th Street– a 5th face up card is dealt to every player, and a new round of betting that is limited to the higher limit amount begins.
6th Street – each player is dealt a 6th card face up, and betting proceeds as in the previous round.
7th Street – a 7th and final card is dealt face down to all remaining players. Because there are not enough cards at this stage of the game for all 8 players to receive an additional card, in the rare event that this occurs, the dealer will alternatively place 1 card on the table that is available to all players to use. Betting is still limited to the higher betting amount.
Showdown - all players must reveal their cards to determine the winner. The last player to bet will reveal first, and others follow in a clockwise direction. If a player’s hand is weaker than those already revealed, he/she may “muck” - discard the cards without revealing them. The player with the winning hand is awarded the pot, and the game concludes.