7 Card Stud
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7 Card Stud is one of the most classic poker variants, popular among both recreational and professional poker players for many years. 7 Card Stud poker is a game for 2 to 8 players, using a single 52-card deck of standard playing cards. The object of the game is to use the 7 cards dealt to you over the course of the hand to create the highest ranking 5-card poker hand. You can also play 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo which is the split pot version of 7 Card Stud.
Betting Structure of 7 Card Stud
7 Card Stud is almost always played in Fixed Limit, meaning all bet sizes are pre-defined. For example, a $1/$2 game of 7 Card Stud would require bets and raises of $1 throughout the first betting rounds, upped to $2 bets/raises for the last two betting rounds. Players cannot exceed the Fixed Limit betting structure. 7 Card Stud uses an Ante and Bring In bet, rather than the typical Small Blind and Big Blind found in Texas Hold’em.
- Ante: The Ante is a very small bet, usually 10%-25% of the low-end stakes. (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $.10-$.25 Ante). This Ante bet is placed by every player at the table before any cards are dealt.
- Bring In: Once the first three cards have been dealt to each player (2 face-down, one face-up), the player with the lowest face-up card (Door Card) must place the Bring In bet, equal to half the low-end stakes (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $.50 Bring In). In case of a tie, the lowest suit places the Bring In Bet. Suit ranks are - lowest to highest - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades. This is easily remembered as they are in alphabetical order. Read this article on 7 Card Stud strategy to learn which starting hands are the best.
- Check: A Check is when a player declines to bet, but remains active in the current hand. A Check can only be placed when no other player has bet before you in the current betting round. Should a player bet after you have Checked, you will have to call the bet, raise or fold.
- Bet: To place the first chips into the pot in the current betting round.
- Call: To place an amount of chips into the pot equal to the previous bet.
- Raise: To call the previous bet, then add another equal amount of chips to the pot.
- Fold: To throw in your cards, forfeiting the current hand and pot.
- All-In: An All-In bet is not common in 7 Card Stud due to the Fixed Limit betting structure, but can occur when a player become very low n chips. The player must move all of his chips towards the pot, but kept in a separate stack. The player cannot win an amount higher than his All-In bet from any single player.
General Game Play of 7 Card Stud
Each player must first place an Ante bet into the pot. The dealer will now deal 3 cards to each player - the first two are face-down, called Hole Cards, the third is face-up, called the Door Card. The player with the lowest Door Card places the Bring In bet. Note that each card dealt is called a Street, therefore the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Street are the first cards dealt.
Starting with the player left of the Bring In bettor, a normal round of betting commences. At this time and for the next two betting rounds, all Bets and Raises must be made equal to the low-end stakes. (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $1 Bets/Raises). Any player who does not wish to Bet/Call/Raise may Fold.
4th Street: A fourth card is dealt face-up to each player. Another round of betting commences, this time starting with the player showing the highest open hand (face-up cards only). The highest possible hand is a pair of Aces.
5th Street: A fifth card is dealt face up to each player, then another betting round, same as the last.
6th Street: A sixth card is dealt face-up to each player. From here on out, all Bets/Raises must be placed equal to the high-end stakes (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $2 Bets/Raises).
7th Street: A seventh and final card is dealt face-down to each player. The same player who led the betting in the last round will lead again.
The Showdown: If more than one player remains in the hand (everyone else hasn’t Folded), the remaining players will use their 7 cards to create the highest possible ranking 5-card poker hand. They will reveal their hands, and the highest ranking hand wins the pot.
Possible Dilemmas in 7 Card Stud
Not Enough Cards: Though extremely rare, it is possible to run out of cards before the 7th Street is dealt. This will only occur if all players remain in the hand (no one Folds). Should this occur, a single 7th card is dealt face-up to the center of the table. This card becomes the 7th card of every player, known as a Community Card.
Tie At Showdown: If an exact tie occurs at the Showdown (i.e. two Ace-High Straights), the winners will split the pot. In extreme cases, such as two Royal Straights (two Queen-high, same suit straights), the highest suit determines the winner. Remember, the suit ranks go in alphabetical order, lowest to highest - Club, Diamond, Heart, Spade.
Betting Structure of 7 Card Stud
7 Card Stud is almost always played in Fixed Limit, meaning all bet sizes are pre-defined. For example, a $1/$2 game of 7 Card Stud would require bets and raises of $1 throughout the first betting rounds, upped to $2 bets/raises for the last two betting rounds. Players cannot exceed the Fixed Limit betting structure. 7 Card Stud uses an Ante and Bring In bet, rather than the typical Small Blind and Big Blind found in Texas Hold’em.
- Ante: The Ante is a very small bet, usually 10%-25% of the low-end stakes. (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $.10-$.25 Ante). This Ante bet is placed by every player at the table before any cards are dealt.
- Bring In: Once the first three cards have been dealt to each player (2 face-down, one face-up), the player with the lowest face-up card (Door Card) must place the Bring In bet, equal to half the low-end stakes (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $.50 Bring In). In case of a tie, the lowest suit places the Bring In Bet. Suit ranks are - lowest to highest - Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades. This is easily remembered as they are in alphabetical order. Read this article on 7 Card Stud strategy to learn which starting hands are the best.
- Check: A Check is when a player declines to bet, but remains active in the current hand. A Check can only be placed when no other player has bet before you in the current betting round. Should a player bet after you have Checked, you will have to call the bet, raise or fold.
- Bet: To place the first chips into the pot in the current betting round.
- Call: To place an amount of chips into the pot equal to the previous bet.
- Raise: To call the previous bet, then add another equal amount of chips to the pot.
- Fold: To throw in your cards, forfeiting the current hand and pot.
- All-In: An All-In bet is not common in 7 Card Stud due to the Fixed Limit betting structure, but can occur when a player become very low n chips. The player must move all of his chips towards the pot, but kept in a separate stack. The player cannot win an amount higher than his All-In bet from any single player.
General Game Play of 7 Card Stud
Each player must first place an Ante bet into the pot. The dealer will now deal 3 cards to each player - the first two are face-down, called Hole Cards, the third is face-up, called the Door Card. The player with the lowest Door Card places the Bring In bet. Note that each card dealt is called a Street, therefore the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Street are the first cards dealt.
Starting with the player left of the Bring In bettor, a normal round of betting commences. At this time and for the next two betting rounds, all Bets and Raises must be made equal to the low-end stakes. (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $1 Bets/Raises). Any player who does not wish to Bet/Call/Raise may Fold.
4th Street: A fourth card is dealt face-up to each player. Another round of betting commences, this time starting with the player showing the highest open hand (face-up cards only). The highest possible hand is a pair of Aces.
5th Street: A fifth card is dealt face up to each player, then another betting round, same as the last.
6th Street: A sixth card is dealt face-up to each player. From here on out, all Bets/Raises must be placed equal to the high-end stakes (i.e. $1/$2 stakes = $2 Bets/Raises).
7th Street: A seventh and final card is dealt face-down to each player. The same player who led the betting in the last round will lead again.
The Showdown: If more than one player remains in the hand (everyone else hasn’t Folded), the remaining players will use their 7 cards to create the highest possible ranking 5-card poker hand. They will reveal their hands, and the highest ranking hand wins the pot.
Possible Dilemmas in 7 Card Stud
Not Enough Cards: Though extremely rare, it is possible to run out of cards before the 7th Street is dealt. This will only occur if all players remain in the hand (no one Folds). Should this occur, a single 7th card is dealt face-up to the center of the table. This card becomes the 7th card of every player, known as a Community Card.
Tie At Showdown: If an exact tie occurs at the Showdown (i.e. two Ace-High Straights), the winners will split the pot. In extreme cases, such as two Royal Straights (two Queen-high, same suit straights), the highest suit determines the winner. Remember, the suit ranks go in alphabetical order, lowest to highest - Club, Diamond, Heart, Spade.