How do I play Seven Card Stud?

Seven card stud is played at an eight-handed table. Basic help and rules is listed below.

Each player starts with two hole cards and one up card, and then the dealer gives each active player three more up cards, and then a final down card. Thus each player ends up with seven cards, four face up and three face down. At the showdown on the end, the player holding the best five-card combination among his seven cards wins the pot. If only one player remains at the end of any round of betting, that player wins the pot.

Betting

Seven card stud has five rounds of betting:

1. The dealer gives each player two cards face down and one card face up (third street). Only you can see your hole cards. You can tell which are your hole cards and which is your up card, because the hole cards are situated lower than the up card. The first round of betting commences. On the first round, the betting starts with the player having the lowest up card. This bet is a forced bet. The bet must be at least a specified minimum (called the bring-in), but can be more.

2. The dealer deals each active player a second up card (fourth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The betting on Fourth Street normally proceeds at the lower limit. The exception is that if any board shows an open pair, any player may choose to bet or raise at the higher limit. Once a bet has been made at the higher limit, subsequent raises must be at the higher limit. For example, in a $2/$4 game, the betting in fourth street normally proceeds in increments of $2. If one of the players has an open pair, that player has a choice of betting either $2 or $4. If that player bets $2, any other player can call the $2, raise $2, or raise $4. Once a bet or raise of $4 has been made, the betting must proceed at $4 increments. Specifically, if one player starts the betting at $2 in a round in which an open pair appears, and someone raises that bet by $4, you cannot reraise by $2.

3. The dealer deals each active player a third up card (fifth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting.

4. The dealer deals each active player a fourth up card (sixth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting.

5. The dealer deals each active player a final card; face down (seventh street or the river card). Players still in the hand participate in a final round of betting.

Each new hand begins with each player putting an ante into the pot. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, each player would ante 40 cents.

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