Betting options in Seven Card Stud poker.
Seven Card Stud allows players the same betting options as other poker variations. This means that with each betting round, a player has the choice to either ‘call,’ ‘raise,’ ‘fold’ or ‘bet’ based on the perceived strength of their hand.
Checking is generally reserved for first actions or responding to passive play. If no other players have made a bet, a player may be permitted to check their hand, which means they decline to bet but keeping hold of their cards.
To call a bet is to match it and to raise a bet is to increase it. To fold your hand is to throw in the towel and admit defeat, either due to a weak hand or aggressive betting from competitors.
In Seven Card Stud, players can fold, call or raise based on the previous bets of their opponents at the table.
Seven Card Stud Card Deck Rules
The Deck – Seven Card Stud is played using a standard French deck of 52 cards. The cards in the deck are ranked like this (in ascending order): Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace.
As in the vast majority of poker variations, an Ace can be played as a high or low card.
Because there are only 52 cards in a classic French deck and Seven Card Stud is played with eight players, there is a small risk of the deck running dry before the seventh street is laid out.
In the rare case of running out of cards before the dealing of the seventh street, one community card will be issued face up to be used by all the players remaining at the stud table.
Suit Ranking – A French card deck is divided into four suits of the same value. However, in Seven Card Stud, card deck suits can be ranked in alphabetical order.
This means that in a game of Seven Card Stud, the suits might be value-ranked (from lowest to highest) Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts and Spades.
This suit value ranking enables players to avoid ties in the case of identical hands or matching hand values, whereas the suit ranked lowest would be able to break the tie.
Seven Card Stud Betting Rounds & Game Rules
A run through of the basic rules, betting rounds and game progression of Seven Card Stud poker.
Ante – A Seven Card Stud game begins with each player putting an ‘ante’ into the game. An ante is a fee for entry to the game. The ante goes into the pot, which the winner will eventually take.
The specific amount of the ante depends on the poker site, table, or Seven Card Stud game variation.
Third Street– In a Seven Card Stud game, each player is first issued three hole cards, two of which are dealt privately and one of which is dealt face up. Whichever player holds the lowest visible hole card is obliged to start the betting action.
This low handed ‘bring-in’ player is required to make the first bet, with betting action rotating around the table in a clockwise direction. This betting round is complete when all players have called the bet or folded.
Fourth Street – In a Seven Card Stud game, the Fourth Street is the stage where each player at the table is issued another visible hole card, which is laid face up. In contrast to the third street, the player who holds the highest visible hole card is the one who must commence this round of betting.
The first betting player can choose to either check or bet. The order of betting rotates clockwise around the table, starting and ending with the first player to bet.
Fifth Street – In the Fifth Street stage of a Seven Card Stud game, each player receives yet another visible hole card. This is the point in the game where things start to get more interesting, as players will have a better idea of the potential strength of their hand.
Just like the fourth street, the player obliged to start the betting in this round is the player who holds the exposed hole card of the highest value. Again, the betting order rotates clockwise.
Sixth Street – The Sixth Street is when each player at the table is dealt another visible hold card. Once again, whichever player’s selection of exposed hole cards contains the card with the singularly highest value at the table is the first player to bet.
Seventh Street – The Seventh Street, also known as The River, is the stage of a Seven Card Stud game when each player is issued a final seventh card. The final card is issued face-down.
Again, the player whose exposed cards have the highest value is obliged to commence this final betting round. This is the last stage of play before the final showdown.
The Showdown – If more than one poker player remains at the table once the final betting round is finished, it is time for the players to show their hands and identify the winner. The last player to bet or raise is the first to expose their final hand. Subsequent hands are revealed in a clockwise direction.
The winner of the game is the player who has the best five-card poker hand from the seven cards at their disposal. Once the pot has been awarded to the player with the best five card hand, the game is over.
