7 Card Stud Poker Guide For 2024

What is 7 Card Stud?

Seven-card stud has a storied history that dates back to the American Civil War, when poker gained widespread popularity across the US with soldiers. Stud became an “official” game when it featured The American Hoyle: The Gentleman’s Handbook of Games.

In the early twentieth century, 7 Card Stud became the most popular stud poker variant, and it remained one of the most popular poker games until around the 1970s, which saw the rise of Texas Hold’em.

The aim of 7 Card Stud poker is the same as most poker games: your goal is to make the best-ranking poker hand. The hand rankings are the same as in other poker variants. The most significant difference between 7 Card Stud rules and games like Omaha and Texas Hold’em is that there are no community cards, and players are dealt seven cards, four being face-up and three face-down.

Ante

Before dealing in 7 Card Stud, players at the table post an ante. The amount of the ante depends on the stakes, but it is usually around 10-20% of the small bet size, so in a $5/10 limit game, the ante will likely be around $0.50-$1.

The Deal

Once all antes are posted, players are dealt three cards. The first two cards are dealt facedown and are known as hole cards or down cards, and the last card is dealt face-up and is known as the door card.

Bring-in

Whichever player has the lowest-ranking door card must place the “bring-in” bet, which is varies but is roughly about half of the small bet size, so in a $5/10 game the bring-in will be $2.50. The player that brings-in may also complete the bet by posting the entire small bet amount.

If two players have the same ranking hand, it’s based on suits, and the strength of the suit goes in Alphabetical order (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades), with clubs being the weakest and spades being the strongest.

First Betting Round

After the bring-in has been posted, the action continues clockwise around the table. Players can either fold, call the bring-in, or raise. Because 7-card stud is usually a limit game, the raise in the third street (first betting round) and the fourth street is limited to the small bet amount, so in a $5/$10 game, the bet can only be raised to $5.

Fourth Street

Each remaining player is dealt a second face-up card. Another betting round begins with the person showing the highest-ranking poker hand (from their face-up cards only) the first to act. Like in the third street, players are limited in raising a maximum of a small bet amount. However, players can wager the big bet amount if they pair their door card.

Fifth Street

Any remaining players are dealt a third face-up card, so they now have a total of five cards (three face-up and two hole cards). Another round of betting starts with the player showing the best hand. The raising and betting standards are typically raised to the big bet limit in the fifth street and remain like this until the end of the hand.

Sixth Street

Players are dealt a fourth face-up card, and another betting round commences with the player with the highest ranking hand showing.

Seventh Street (The River) and Showdown

The remaining players are dealt the 7th and final card face-down and now have three hole cards and four face-up cards. A final round of betting begins again, starting with the player with the highest ranking hand showing. If more than one player remains after this round of betting, players reveal their hand, and the player with the best ranking hand wins the pot.

Cash Games

The most significant difference between 7 card stud poker games and tournaments is that chips have a real monetary value, so whatever amount of chips you win or lose, you lose or win that amount of cash.

You can join a table whenever you want and play for as long or as little as you wish. You can also buy more chips at any point, so if you are low-stacked or have nothing left, you can just top up. The stakes also always remain the same at cash games, unlike tournaments, where stakes will periodically increase.

Tournaments

In Seven Card Stud poker tournaments, all players pay a set buy-in amount and start with an equal amount of chips. You are eliminated when you have no chips left (although some tournaments offer rebuys).

Tournaments are played until all but one player has been eliminated, and stakes increase to ensure that tournaments don’t go on for days as stacks increase. Typically, 10-20% of players “finish in the money” and win a cash prize, with first place taking roughly 30-50% of the total prize pool.

Tip #1: Read the Board

One of the most critical elements of 7 Card Stud is reading the board, which means analyzing the upcards on the table, assessing how what’s showing can impact the probability of drawing the cards you need, and recognizing what cards might improve your opponent’s hand.

Tip #2: Keep Track of Folded Cards

It’s essential to keep track of cards folded by other players for the same reason as reading the board, which is essential in that it gives an idea of the probability of hitting the cards you need.

If you have four hearts and are looking for a flush draw but have seen four hearts already folded, then the probability of a heart coming out is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, if you’ve seen no hearts folded, then the likelihood of drawing one is relatively high. This is relatively easy to do when playing Seven Card Stud at offshore poker sites, as you can write it down, but when playing live, you will have to try to remember the cards already folded.

Tip #3: Don’t Complete the Bet on Bring-in

If you have to post the bring-in bet, you have the option to “complete” the bet, which means betting the maximum amount. In most cases, it’s best to avoid this, and you should stick to posting the minimum amount. This is because you are out of position and have little information to work with.

If you have a moderate hand or some possible draws, keeping the bet small is in your best interest as it gives you the chance to see the Fourth Street for fewer chips. If you have a strong hand, posting the bring-in misleads your opponents about your hand strength, and you could see them commit more chips to the pot later, so it’s almost always in your best interest not to “complete” the bet.

Tip #4: Call on the River

Most of the time, if you are still in the hand come the river, it’s usually going to be worth calling a bet, even if you think you might have the losing hand. This is because you are getting great pot odds. If each street has seen a bet from you and at least one other player, you’re going to be getting odds of around 6-8 to 1, so it’s definitely worth calling most of the time.

There are exceptions to this. Obviously, if you are sure you are beaten, i.e., your opponents’ upcards beat any hand you have, then fold. Also, if there’s been a lot of checks up until the river, you’re only getting 2 or 3 to 1 odds, and you are pretty sure you’re behind, then folding may be a good option.

Tip #5: Manage Your Bankroll

Poker legend V.P Pappy once said, “Gambling is not about how well you play the games; it’s really about how well you handle your money.” This is some of the best advice ever given about gambling, highlighting that poker bankroll management is crucial for success.

If you are playing cash games, you should have at least 30-50 buy-ins, and if you are playing tournaments, you should have at least 100 buy-ins. This reduces the risk of going broke and gives you the best chance of making your money back.

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