7 Card Stud Poker

Before Texas Hold’em arrived on the scene, the most popular variety of poker was 7 Card Stud. In comparison to Texas Hold’em and Omaha styles of poker, 7 Card Stud can be quite involved and requires a certain degree of patience. However, although quite different from other styles of poker, it still gives you that kick of excitement you get with poker, and can be very rewarding!

Like any form of poker, 7 Card Stud is a game of information. The more you have, the better your gameplay will be. You should always be aware of what cards other players have showing and what hands they could possibly have based on what you see. Knowing and understanding which cards are still available in the deck to help your hand and pot odds is one of the most important things needed to make a successful 7 Card Stud player..

Prior to beginning a game of 7 Card Stud, each player required to post an 'ante', consisting of a mandatory amount that ensures that there’s some money in the pot. Stud poker games don’t make use of any community cards. Instead, the dealer starts play by dealing cards clockwise until each player has three cards. The first two cards a player receives are dealt face down (called the 'hole' cards), while the third card is dealt face up (called the 'door' card).

7 Card Stud is separated into five rounds of betting, with the betting moving in a clockwise rotation around the table.

It is important to remember when playing 7 Card Stud that you receive 7 cards to pick from in order to make your final hand of 5 cards, and you are not required to use any specific 5 from the 7 you are dealt. This means you can pick the 5 cards that give you the highest hand and discard the other two.

The player holding the strongest five-card hand is declared the winner. If there is a tie between two or more players who are holding equally-strong winning five-card hands, the pot will then be divided between the tying players. If there is an odd chip, the player whose hand consists of the higher suit will be given the chip. At ZyngaPlusPoker.com the value of the odd chip is equal to1 cent.

The player who has the lowest-ranking up card begins the game with a token bet called the 'bring-in'. (If two or more players happen to have the same lowest card, the bring-in is then determined by suit in alphabetical order: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.)

After the bring-in bet has been made, each player (beginning with the player to the left of the bring-in) has the option to fold, call, or raise to the betting limit. 

Another up card is dealt to each player. At this point in the game, the player with the highest two up cards begins the betting. Only for this round of betting, if a player gets an open pair, they have the option of making a double bet. 

At this point in the game each player is once again dealt another up card. The betting is started by the player with the highest combination of up cards.

Another up card is dealt to each player. Once again, the player with the highest combination of up cards begins the betting. 

Each player is now dealt their final card, a down card. The same player who started the last round begins the betting for this round. 

The winning player is the player with the best hand after play is complete.