Seven Card Stud Rules

Seven Card Stud is played at two to eight player tables. Seven Card Stud is not a community card based poker game; each player plays their own cards.

In Seven Card Stud each player is dealt two cards face down, these are the "hole" or "pocket" cards and one face up. Three cards are then dealt to each player face up and one face down. Each player then uses their own cards to make the best five card poker hand.

Ante Up - Play Begins
All players ante a nominal amount; this is a forced bet by each player. Each player is then dealt two cards face down, these are the Hole cards and one face up.

Seven Card Stud Play
The player with the lowest face card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet (for example $1 in a $2/$4 game); the round of betting continues from there.

If more than one player has the same lowest face up card a tie is broken by the suit of the card; with the order being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs.

A card, "Fourth Street", is then dealt to each player face up.
The player with the highest face up poker hand then begins the next betting round.

A card, "Fifth Street", is then dealt to each player face up.
The player with the highest face up poker hand then begins the next betting round.

A card, "Sixth Street", is then dealt to each player face up.
The player with the highest face up poker hand then begins the next betting round.

A card, "River" or "Seventh Street", is then dealt to each player face up.
The player with the highest face up poker hand then begins the next betting round.

The "Showdown" occurs.

The Showdown
If there is more than one player left in the pot at the end of the last round of betting the player with the best "high" five card poker hand wins the pot; the hand is made up of five of the seven cards that the player was dealt.

All players use their own cards to make the best five-card poker hand.

The rules are the same for all of the different betting structures Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit with a few exceptions:
Limit
No Limit
Pot Limit