Stud poker is the oldest of all poker games, dating back some 200 years to
the American west, where it was played by miners, farmers and river boat
gamblers. Until about the last decade, 7 Card Stud was the most prestigious
poker game. Change began in the early 1970s when Benny Binion created the
World Series of Poker (WSOP) event and declared that the chief event would
be Texas Hold ‘Em. With the 2003 WSOP success of Chris Moneymaker, an online
internet player, Texas Hold ‘Em became THE game to play and it is now
synonymous with poker. In terms of popularity, 7 Card Stud is now some way
behind Texas Hold ‘Em for a variety of reasons. 7 Card Stud has 5 rounds of
betting as compared to 4 in Hold ‘Em, with the latter preferred as both
players and online poker rooms want to see as many hands as possible played
per hour. Due to the “drawing” nature of the game, 7 Card Stud is usually
played in a limit format and many players prefer no limit Hold ‘Em. The
other factor limiting the growth and popularity of 7 Card Stud, especially
in the online environment is that it cannot effectively be played on a
multi-table basis. The stud game is based on “live” cards and draws, so any
player who has not seen the discards from any hand will be at a remorseless,
unrelenting disadvantage. The majority of “rounders” play 4+ Hold ‘Em tables
concurrently and such players avoid 7 Card Stud for purely financial
reasons, despite it offering weaker opposition.
7 Card Stud vs. Flop Poker Games
7 Card Stud differs from “Flop” games such as Texas Hold ‘Em or Omaha in two
main respects. There are no community cards, with each player being dealt a
mixture of face-down and face-up cards. Additionally, 7 Card Stud is a
“non-positional” game, so each round of betting may open with a different
player.
7 Stud Poker Rules
7 Card Stud is played with 2-8 players at the table, with the highest
ranking 5-card hand winning the pot. Basic 7 Card Stud strategy requires
players to memorise the cards were “burnt” (discarded) by opposing players,
which is why playing online confers a great advantage; folded cards may be
monitored using spreadsheets or specially designed 7 Card Stud software.
Playing 7 Card Stud Online
The Ante
In 7 Card Stud, each player posts small mandatory sum of chips, called the
“ante,” before any cards are dealt, to ensure that there is an initial
contribution to every pot. The size of the ante varies, but the total for a
particular table usually adds up to the amount of the small bet in Limit 7
Card Stud.
First Three Cards
Each player is one face-up and two face-down cards. The single “up” card is
called “Third Street” or the “door card.”
First Betting Round – “Third Street”
This betting round is called Third Street because each player has 3 cards.
The player with the lowest door card is obliged to make a bet, is known as
the “bring-in.” Players accustomed to high card opening will need to adjust
their play slightly to make up for this difference. The low card rule is
used in the majority of online poker sites because it stimulates more
betting action. If two players are tied for the table low, suit is used as a
tiebreaker. The suits are ranked in alphabetical order from lowest to
highest, namely clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades. The lowest suit breaks a
tie, so if the 2 of hearts and 2 of clubs were visible as door cards at the
start of a hand, then the 2 of clubs would have the bring-in. If the player
with the lowest card showing on Third Street is all-in for the ante and they
are consequently unable to make the required bring-in bet, the bring-in
moves clockwise to the next player at the table, regardless of the value of
that player’s up card.
Second Betting Round – “Fourth Street”
A further face-up card is dealt to each active player, making 4, hence
“Fourth Street.” This round of betting is initiated by the player with the
highest ranking hand from their 3 showing cards. As previously, the betting
round concludes once every player has either folded or called the highest
bet. In some online poker rooms, only the player holding a pair may double
the bet, while other rooms allow any player to make a double bet as long as
a pair is showing on the table. Once a double bet is made, all subsequent
bets must be at the same level.
Third Betting Round – “Fifth Street”
A final face-up card is dealt to all remaining active players, giving each
player one down card and 4 up cards, a total of 5, hence “Fifth Street.”
Fourth Betting Round – “Sixth Street”
A sixth card is dealt, face-up, bringing the card count to four showing, two
hidden. Betting proceeds exactly as with Fifth Street.
Fifth Betting Round – “The River” or “Seventh Street”
The final, 7th card is dealt, face-down. Each active player holds seven
cards, 4 facing up and 3 that can be seen only by the player. The betting
action starts with the player showing the best 4-card hand. Since 7 Card
Stud games are played with a maximum of 8 players and a standard deck of
cards contains just 52 cards, it is conceivable that the cards may run out
before the Seventh Street card can be dealt. In this rare instance, a single
“community card” is dealt, face-up, into the middle of the table, to be
shared amongst all the remaining active players.
The Showdown
If a hand goes all the way to a “Showdown,” the players reveal their hands,
staring with whoever was the last player to make a bet or raise. The highest
ranking 5-card hand wins the pot.
