Seven Card Stud Poker
Seven card stud is probably one of the most popular poker card games and very easy to play. Most of the sites featured on our betting review seven card stud tables. In Seven Card Stud, players are dealt seven cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best five-card hand possible for each player is used to determine the winner.
Before a game of Seven Card Stud starts, all players ante a nominal amount, for example £1 in a £10-£20 game. Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed 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, either £1 or £2 in a £2/£4 game). Action continues clockwise around the table until betting is complete for the round.
In the unlikely event that all 8 players are still in the hand on the river, the total number of cards needed for all the players to receive their own card would not be available in a standard deck of cards. In this case the river card is dealt face up on the table and it will be used as a community card.
The maximum allowable number of bets per player during any particular betting round is four. This would consist of (1) a bet, (2) a raise, (3) a re-raise, and (4) a cap. The term cap is used to describe the 3rd raise in a round since betting is then capped and can not be raised anymore. Once the pot is capped, players will have only the option of calling or folding.
The Showdown
The climax of all poker games is the showdown, where any five of your seven cards can be used to make up your best poker hand. The best poker hand wins the pot. Should multiple hands tie, the pot is split with any odd amount going to the player immediately to the left of the dealer.
Strategy & Tips
Very importantly with all poker games it is important to have a game plan better know as a strategy, here are some of the best tips to help you with you betting plan.
- Fifth street is a decision time, as the betting limit increases, this is the time to fold a poor hand, especially against aggressive betting. If you stay in be sure you can play your hand out to the end.
- If an opponents exposed cards beat your whole hand, it is best to fold.
- If you are trying to make a straight, look to see if other players are showing the cards you need, and reconsider your bet.
- If you are trying to make a flush, check to see how many of those suit are left not showing, and adjust your strategy accordingly. For example, if you are trying to make a flush of diamonds, and you hold four and there are another eight showing, there is only one diamond left.
- The advantage of playing online is that if you are quick you can write down what cards other players have before they fold, so helping you analyse what possible hands are still available. But you must be quick, as slow play will empty your table of players.
- This is a game of patience, so be prepared to wait until you get good hands before betting heavy. Remember there are five rounds of betting in this game as opposed to four in Hold'Em and Omaha, and the level of play can hit the higher limit quicker.
