7 Card Stud Poker
7-Card Stud is also one of the most popular poker games. A maximum of 8 people at a time can take part in the game. A complete 7-Card Stud game consists of an initial ante followed by 5 betting rounds. During the game each player receives 3 cards dealt face down and 4 cards dealt face up. The player with the best high 5-card hand wins the game. To do this you can use any combination of the 7 cards you receive.
The Buy-in
To join a 7-Card Stud table you first have to “buy in”. This actually means that you are supposed to buy a minimum amount of chips to play with. In some poker rooms the smallest buy-in sum can be $10 or even 20.
The Ante
Before the first cards are dealt, all the players post the initial bet, called ante. The size of the ante is not determined by set rules, but is decided upon according to limits.
The First Betting Round
Each player is dealt 2 cards face down, which are called hole cards and 1 card face up, also known as the door. Once that has been done, the player with the lowest “up” card starts the action by placing the first bet, called the bring-in. If two or more players have the same lowest card, the person to place the bring-in bet is determined by the suit of the lowest cards he/she has. In card suits order, spades are considered to be of the highest value. Then come hearts, diamonds and clubs. After the obligatory bring-in bet the betting round goes further to include all other players, who act in a clockwise manner.
Your action
There are several options you can choose from during the betting round. Thus, you can check (or to make a zero bet), bet (to place the initial raise of the round), raise (place the second, third and fourth increase in the amount each player puts into the pot), call (to make a bet equal to the previous one) or fold (this means to put down your cards and no longer be able to active in the game). Players may fold at any stage of the game.
Please, note that in each betting round there is a maximum of 1 bet and 3 additional raises per player. The final bet of the betting round is called the cap and suggests that no one can make any more raises until the round is over.
The Second Betting Round
After the first betting round has been completed, each player still in the pot is dealt 1 more card face-up. This time the player with the highest (not the lowest) card showing starts the action. He/she can check, bet or fold. According to what he/she just did, all other players in turn go on with the round.
The Third Betting Round
That being finished, the next round follows. Again each player is dealt 1 card face-up. The highest card showing starts the action again. The difference here lies in the amount the players bet. The third round of betting doubles the value of the each bet (it is now twice the amount of what it used to be in the previous rounds).
The Fourth and Fifth Betting Rounds
Once the round of betting is finished, another card is dealt face up, and a new, fourth, round of betting ensues. That being over, the last card is dealt, this time face down. This final card is called the river. After the fifth and final betting round there comes the time for the showdown
The Showdown
If more than one player remains active by the end of the game, a showdown occurs. As it’s already been said, the player with the highest valued 5 card Poker hand wins the pot. The hand should be a 5-card combination of any of the 7 cards you receive during the game.