Casino Game Guides:
Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud Poker
Seven Card Stud poker is similar to Hold'em poker where players must make the best five card hand they can out of seven cards. All the rules for poker and Hold'em poker apply and we'll only take a look at the differences between them and Seven Card Stud poker. You may want to read our Poker guide to get up to speed on a number of things not covered here.
How To Play
After everyone places their ante, the dealer deals everyone three cards, one of which is face down.
The person showing the lowest card is forced to bet first. Some casinos will force the highest card to bet. After the first hand, the highest card will start the action by betting or checking.
Players are then dealt three more cards, one at a time, face up and a final card face down, with a round of betting between each.
The only time that suit matters is if after the initial deal two players are showing that same rank card. If this happens, then the first bettor is determined in this order: spades highest, then hearts, diamonds and clubs.
If at the end of a hand players hold the same rank hand in different suits, then they split the pot.
The person with the lowest card has the option of making the minimum bet. However, they will usually always make the minimum bet so they don't raise suspicion of the other players, if they have a good hand. Other players then call, raise or fold as in other poker.
Another major difference from Hold'em poker is the five rounds betting instead of four. This additional round of betting allows you to win more on a winning hand, and can lose more on a losing hand. Although it may be easier to catch up it may be more expensive to try.
An importance difference between the two games is the point in time when you get to see cards with little or not bet or ante. In Hold'em you only get to see two cards before making a bet, then you see three at once. In Seven Card Stud, you get to see three cards right away, then one at a time, after the initial round of betting.
Its always desirable to see the most number of cards for the least amount of money. You're chances of winning are greatly improved if you make the right decision when you see your initial cards.
The last card dealt is always face down. This differs from Hold'em where the final cards are all face up. After all players have finished raising or have folded, then players reveal their cards to determine the winner.
Strategy
Position can play an important role, considering the rule of the lowest or highest card starting the betting. In Hold'em the player with the button is always last to bet and can make decisions based on the cards they have seen and the betting decisions of all the other players. In Seven Card Stud, the first and last to bet is determined by high or low cards and a players betting position at the table will always be changing from round to round.
The best way to become a good poker player is to play as much as you can. Nothing beats experience!
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