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Each player receives five cards face down. When all the cards have been dealt, the players look at their own cards. After an initial round of betting they have the opportunity to exchange any cards in their hand for new cards from the deck. Cards that are being discarded are returned to the dealer before the new cards are drawn.

As a general rule, if you get nothing from the initial deal you should fold (that is, if you are unable to make a ranking of at least a high pair). Only a hand with a pair of at least six or more is worth playing.

The number of cards each player exchanges gives an indication of the strength of his or her hand. A player holding just one pair can improve their hand by exchanging up to three cards. However if three cards are exchanged, the player then makes it obvious that the hand contains a pair. By exchanging only two cards some doubt remains as to whether the player holds a pair or three of a kind. The extra card retained, which is called a kicker, is usually the highest other card in the hand.

In the illustrations on this and to follow, the players‘ cards are not revealed (to duplicate the normal course of play), but are indicated to the reader in the accompanying text. Play moves clockwise around the table, with Player A in the 12-o’clock position, Player B in the 3-o’clock position and so on.

How to Play Five Card Stud

Stud poker differs from draw poker in that some of the cards in each player’s hand are revealed to the other players. The object of both games remains the same, that is, to beat the other players‘ hands by making the best ranking poker hand.

To begin, each player receives one card face up and one card face down. The player with the lowest face-up card makes an initial bet, called a forced bet, in order to get the betting started. The remaining three cards are then dealt face up to each player, with a round of betting taking place after each card is dealt. The player showing the highest ranking hand is the first to bet in each remaining round.

As five-card stud progresses, each player gets more information about the other players‘ hands on which to base his or her subsequent bets. A good initial hand is one that matches or betters the highest card showing on the table at that time. Anything lower and you should consider folding. In stud poker a playable hand is a minimum of a high pair (for example two 8s).

How to Play Seven ^-Card Stud

Each player receives a total of seven cards and the aim is to make the best-possible hand from those cards. Three cards are initially dealt (two face down and one face up). The player with the lowest up card makes a forced bet. A button (marker) then travels around the table to indicate which player is to make the forced bet in the next game.

After the forced bet each player may fold, call or raise when it is their turn. The fourth, fifth and sixth cards are dealt face up and the seventh face down. After each card is dealt there is a round of betting. The player with the highest ranking hand on view is the first to either bet or fold in each round of betting.

After all seven cards have been dealt, four cards are on display to the other players and three are hidden from view. With each round of betting, players obtain more information on which to base their strategy, enabling a player to deduce what chance his or her cards have of winning.

If a player’s visible cards have the potential to make a good hand, he or she has the option of bluffing, even if there is nothing of value in their hidden cards. By continually raising the stakes, it is possible to force the other players into folding — in which case the player’s bluff will have been called and he or she will win without having to reveal his or her own hand.

Because the players receive seven cards there is a much better chance of making higher-ranking hands, so the strategy in this game is entirely different from other forms of poker.

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