7 Card Stud Poker card game is one of the most popular variants of video Poker available for free. It is a fast single player video Poker game that principally works on the rule of seven cards per hand with an option of altering your the wagering limit on every deal.
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Before the start of the Texas hold'em poker boom a couple of years ago, seven-card stud was one of the most popular poker variations in the United States.
The game can be played with two to eight players, and the biggest difference between seven-card stud and Texas hold'em or Omaha is that seven-card stud does not involved a flop, and in most cases, it doesn't involve community cards at all.
Game Play
As you can see in the image above, to begin each hand a player is dealt the first two cards face down and then a third facing up. This is often called third street. The two face-down cards are called the 'hole cards' and the face-up card is called the 'door card.' Based on these three cards, one would decide whether or not to continue with the hand. Like in any poker variation, starting-hand selection is extremely important in seven-card stud.
Each player gets dealt a total of seven cards, of which three are dealt face down and four are dealt face up. From these seven cards the player has to choose his best five-card combination. The hand rankings are identical to those in Texas hold'em or Omaha; a royal flush is the best possible hand and the worst hand is the high card hand (no pair).
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Antes, bring-in and betting
While the blinds are the forced bets in Texas hold'em and Omaha poker, antes are the forced bets placed by every player before receiving any cards. As an example, let's think of a $10/$20 seven-card stud game with an ante of $1 and a bring-in of $5.
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Each player wanting to be dealt in to receive a hand would have to post the $1 ante, creating a pot worth competing for. The first three cards are then dealt to each player before it is determined that one player must post the bring-in. In seven-card stud, the player with the lowest-ranking door card would have to post the $5 bring-in at minimum, but this person does have the option to 'complete' the bet by posting $10 (the small limit of the game). From there, the betting continues clockwise around the table, with each player having the option to call, raise or fold. In the case that the first player who brought in only posts the bring-in, other players may have the option of completing the bet to $10 as the first raise. Once the betting is complete, every player left in the hand is dealt a fourth card, referred to as fourth street.
In games that involve a button that dictates where the action starts, those differ from seven-card stud. In seven-card stud, the first player to act from fourth street on is the player displaying the highest-ranking hand.
Before proceeding past third street, though, it is important to have solid hand selection. An example of good starting hands in seven-card stud would include the following:
Seven-card stud is most often played as a limit game. Sticking with the same example of our $10/$20 seven-card stud game, the limits of betting on third and fourth street would be the smaller limit, or $10 in this case. On fifth, sixth and seventh street, the limits increase to $20.
In the case that a player pairs his door card on fourth street, the opening player now has the option to bet double the small limit, or the larger limit. For example, if a player begins with an ace and picks up another ace on fourth street, that player may open with a bet of $20 instead of $10. This unique betting rule only takes place in the high version of seven-card stud, and not the split-pot version.
Conclusion
In seven-card stud, it is very important to pay close attention to the cards of your opponents. If you, for example, have a straight draw with K♣Q♦J♥10♠, but you already see three aces on the table, then you are only drawing to one ace and the remaining nines in the deck. If a player folded the case ace and you are unaware he or she did so, you could be incorrectly estimating your odds in the hand.
Seven Card Stud may not be the king of poker any more but it still has a loyal base of fans around the world. The best poker sites for Seven Card Stud have quite a few tables and are great places for Seven Card Stud fans who might not always live near a casino that offers the game.
This list of the best 7 Card Stud poker sites includes the two largest poker sites in the world. Other poker sites offer 7 Card Stud but they don’t have enough tables to keep the games going around the clock. These poker sites, on the other hand, offer substantial 7 Card Stud action.
- Location: Netherlands
- Established: 2004
- Mark. Code:MIK500
- Traffic: 235,929 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
As the world’s largest all around poker site, PokerStars is also one of the best poker sites for 7 Card Stud. There are just so many players online at PokerStars all the time that poker variations of all types get enough traffic to keep games at all stakes running all the time. Seven Card Stud ring games at PokerStars start out at $0.04/$0.08 and go up to $100/$200.
On the tournament side, PokerStars also offers a variety of Stud tournaments almost every day. The tournament selection offers something for everyone and makes PokerStars a great 7 Card Stud poker site. PokerStars hosts freerolls, a $215 tournament with a $5K guaranteed prize pool and several other tournaments every week. The World Championship of Online Poker also includes several Seven Card Stud tournaments, including one with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool.
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Any of the poker sites above are a great choice for Seven Card Stud players. If you wish to play 7 Card Stud online but don't know the game yet, read on for the full rules of Seven Stud poker. Or, check out my buddy's site, BestOnlinePokerSites.com, which reviews the top online poker sites.
How to Play Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud is played with 2-8 players and a normal deck of 52 cards. This poker variation is still widely popular and can be found at most casinos and poker sites. This game is quite a bit different than Texas Holdem and it offers players a refreshing break from the norm.
The Antes
Seven Card Stud uses an antes system to generate a small pot at the beginning of each hand. At the beginning of each hand, each player must ante a small amount of money to the pot. The size of the ante is usually equal to about 10% the size of the smaller betting limit.
Third Street
The dealer gives each player two cards face down and one card face up. The cards should be dealt one at a time clockwise around the table until each player has three cards. The player with the lowest card showing must pay the bring-in, which is a small, forced bet equal to half the size of the lower betting limit.
The player who pays the bring-in starts the first round of betting. This player may complete the bring-in to a full minimum bet or he may leave it as is. The betting action moves clockwise around the table. The first player to make a bet in this round must complete the bring-in and then after that all bets and raises are made in increments of the lower betting limit.
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Fourth Street
One card is dealt face up to each player. This is followed by a round of betting that begins with the player who has the highest hand showing. From here on out, all betting rounds begin with the player who has the best hand showing. Additionally, players have the option to check until any other player makes a bet that round.
Fifth Street
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One card is dealt face up to each player. This is followed by another round of betting. In fixed limit games, this is where players must start using the upper betting limit.
Sixth Street
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One card is dealt face up to each player. This is followed by another round of betting.
Seventh Street
One card is dealt face down to each player. There is one last round of betting. If there are two or more players remaining at this point, those players reveal their hands. The player who has the best five card poker hand, using any five of his seven cards, wins the pot.