Seven Card Stud is a poker game with no community cards played by 2 to 8 players. At first all players are dealt two face-down and one face-up cards. Over the course of the rounds, each player is dealt 3 more face-up cards and one final downcard, from which they must make a combination of 5 to compete in the showdown. The player with the best poker hand wins the round and the pot.
Basic Play
1. Ante
2. Deal – each player is dealt 3 cards, two down and one open card
3. Bring-in
4. First betting round
5. Deal – the Fourth Street. Each player is dealt one open card
6. Second betting round
7. Deal – the Fifth Street. Each player is dealt an open card
8. Third round of betting
9. Deal – the Sixth Street. Each player is dealt one face-up card.
10. Fourth betting round
11. Deal – the Seventh Street
12. Fifth (final) betting round
13. Showdown
Opening the betting
Before the cards are dealt, each player pays an ante (a type of forced bet). Then each player is dealt two hole cards and one face-up card: the door card. The player with the lowest door card starts the betting by placing the so called “bring-in” bet. Then each player, starting with the player to the left of the bring in, can either call, fold, raise.
Fourth Street
Each player is then deal another open card. The player with the highest open cards starts the betting round. Only on this round a player can make a double bet if they have an open pair.
Fifth Street
In this round each player is dealt one more open card. Again, the player with the highest combination of open cards starts the betting.
Sixth Street
The players are dealt another face-up card and betting is started by the player with the highest combination of open cards.
Seventh Street
Each player is dealt one face-down card. The betting is started by the same player who began the betting in the previous round.
Showdown
The player with the best 5-card hand wins the game.