Intro to 7 Card Stud
7 Card Stud is one of the oldest surviving poker variations but it's not nearly as popular as the current favorite, Texas Holdem. Seven Card Stud is a difficult game to master but it's highly profitable for good players because of that very reason. If you take the time to learn the ins and outs of the game, you'll have a massive advantage over the average 7 Card Stud player.
7 Card Stud Rules
Ante
At the beginning of every hand, each player must contribute a small forced bet to the bet. This ante is usually equal to 10-25% the size of the small bet. In $10-$20 7 Card Stud, the ante is usually $1.
Third Street and First Round of Betting
The dealer deals three cards to each player, one card face up and two cards face down, starting with the player to his left.
The player with the lowest card must "bring in" the betting by paying a small bet equal to half the size of the small bet. This bet is not optional.
Moving clockwise around the table, the remaining players may call the bring-in, raise or fold their cards. The betting action continues clockwise around the table until all bets have been matched.
Any raises at this point are limited to the size of the small bet. In a $10/$20 limit 7 Card Stud game, that would be $10.
Fourth Street and Second Round of Betting
One card is dealt face up to each player. From here on out, the player with the highest hand showing begins the betting each round. The small bet is still the maximum bet and raise size.
Fifth Street and Third Round of Betting
One card is dealt face up to each player. There is another round of betting but this time the bet sizes must be in increments of the high stake. In a $10/$20 game, this would be $20.
Sixth Street and Fourth Round of Betting
One more card is dealt face up to each player. There is another round of betting identical to the last round of betting.
Seventh Street and Fifth Round of Betting
One final card is dealt face down to each player and then there is one last round of betting.
Showdown
After the fifth round of betting, any players remaining in the hand show their cards. The player with the best 5 card hand out of the 7 cards that player has wins the pot.
7 Card Stud Basic Strategy
Like I mentioned earlier, 7 Card Stud is a difficult game to master. There is a lot you need to keep track of, including your own cards, the up cards of your opponents and the betting patterns of your opponents.
Starting Hands
One of the first things you'll want to learn in 7 Card Stud strategy is how to pick strong starting hands. The more players that are playing, the more you should try to play starting hands that do well in multi-way pots. Hands like three to the straight and three to the flush are perfect for that.
In shorthanded games, you'll want to look for high cards to help you win pots. There's not as much of a need to try to hit draws when you're only playing against a few people at a time.
Analyzing Your Opponents' Up Cards
It's difficult to keep track of all the up cards out there, but information is vital in poker. When deciding on whether or not to continue on draws or whether your hand is strong enough to withstand another round of betting, you'll have to look at your opponents' up cards to see what's already out there and what could be lurking beneath those down cards.
If you have a three card spade flush draw but you see 6 other spades already out there, you'll know your draw is nearly worthless because there are only 13 cards of each suit in the deck. Paying attention to your opponents' up cards will pay off massive dividends over the long run.
Other Tips
As soon as you get your first three cards, look around the table at all of your opponents' up cards. If a key card you need to make your hand is there, don't try to stick it out and make a different hand. Save yourself the money and make a smart fold.
If you're not seeing a clear picture of your hand by the time you get your fourth card, go ahead and get out early. You need to have a strong hand emerging by fourth street or else you're usually going to be too much of a long shot to make it worth staying in.
The best starting hands are "rolled up" trips. This is when you are dealt a pair of down cards and a third card of the same rank for your exposed card. This is a highly disguised hand and can earn a bunch of money for you. You'll be dealt trips about once every 424 hands.
If you are dealt a big pair right off the bat, start raising to protect your hand and knock other players out of the pot. A big pair is a strong starting hand but it's vulnerable if there are many other people still in the pot. Play your big pairs aggressively.