Five Card Stud

5 Card Stud is a Poker variant that is very similar to 7 Card Stud. As the name suggests, the difference between them lies in the amount of cards dealt throughout the course of the game – there are 5 cards dealt in 5 Card Stud Poker. This causes the game structure to change slightly, and the following will guide you through a 5 Card Stud online game:

1. As in all Stud games, an ante is put into the pot by all players to bring incentive to the game.
2. The 1st round is called the “Open”, in which each player is dealt 1 pocket card (face down) and 1 open card (face up). This, however, can vary according to the facility’s rules, as 5 Card Stud is mostly played casually.
3. Although not as common as in 7 Card Stud, sometimes a Bring-in round is played, in which the player with the lowest ranking up-card must a mandatory initial bet equaling at least as much as the ante.
4. The first round of betting follows, and in most cases the player holding the lowest showing card will open the bet. Sometimes the player with the highest showing card will open, yet this doesn’t affect the proceeding stages of the game. As in 7 Card Stud, betting is limited to low limit bets.
5. A 3rd card is now dealt face up to each player, and betting is restricted to the lower stake amount. This round of betting is called the “3rd Street”.
6. In the “4th Street” round, a 4th open card is dealt to all players, and betting now doubles to the higher stake amount, as it would in the 5th and 6th Street betting rounds of 7 Card Stud Poker.
7. In the “5th Street” or “River” betting round, a 5th card is dealt, most commonly face up but sometimes also face down, and betting follows.
8. The last player to bet or raise during the River will reveal his/her hand first. If all players checked through then players will reveal their hands in a clockwise direction. Starting from the player left of the dealer. Players have the option to fold if their hand is weaker than the one revealed before them. The player with the highest ranking 5 card hand will win the pot.

• It should be noted that in most cases, the showdown round is unnecessary, as it is frequent for players to bet and not receive any raises.