How to Play 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Stud
Both 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Stud are similar in nature, but 7 Card Stud is one of the most challenging poker games to learn. It is difficult to master quickly and takes a lot of time and patience before you can actually become comfortable playing the game. For amateur players, one of the first things you'll want to know is what the betting stakes are. Usually, the lowest they will start at is $2 to $4. This is perfect for beginner players. It gives you a chance to test your skills without breaking your wallet.
You'll also have to pay a buy-in or bankroll fee which is set at a minimum amount. The minimum amount will be around ten times the low betting limit. For example, if the betting limit is $10 to $20, your buy-in amount will be $100. Next is the ante which must be paid before the hand is dealt. An ante is the amount you bid before each hand that is placed into the pot. For low limit poker games, the ante is usually around 10 percent of the betting limit. If the low betting limit is $10, your ante would be at least $1.
After each player has paid their ante, the hand is dealt. You will be given three cards but only one will be face up. This is referred to as Third Street by poker players. The player with the lowest card, often called a door card, must open with a bet that is at least twice the amount of the ante. If he does not wish to bid, he must fold and the opening bet goes to the player on his left.
In the next hand, each player is given another card which is known as Fourth Street. However, this time the person with the opening bet must have the highest card. They now have the option to either bet or pass on their turn. The first bet placed is set at the low limit. For a game with a betting limit of $10 to $20, you would simply bet $10. The betting amount for this hand is now set at $10 for all players.
Both Fifth and Sixth Street are played in a similar manner. The player with the highest card in each hand opens. However, unlike Fourth Street, the opening player is forced to bid the highest betting limit amount. If the betting limit is $10 to $20, the player would have to place a bet of $20 in order to play.
When the last hand is dealt, this is known as Seventh Street. Each player is given one card, often called the "river", but it is dealt face down. Players must again bid at the high limit amount. Once all bids have been placed, the participating players enter what is known as the Showdown. Starting with the player who made the opening bid, each person must reveal all off their pocket cards. These are the cards that were dealt face down in the first hand and the river card. The player with the highest hand wins the pot.
5 Card Stud rules are pretty much the same, except that in the opening hand players are dealt two cards instead of three and the game only continues until players reach what is known as Fifth Street. Many people confuse this game with Draw Poker, but in Draw Poker you are allowed to pick additional cards. It is not one of the more popular poker games because players are only given one pocket card in the first hand. The game is not very challenging but it might serve as a good starting point for players who are just learning how to play poker.
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