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Stud Poker generally
involves a combination of "Hold Cards" (cards dealt face
down to each player), and "Up Cards" (cards dealt to each
player face up, for all to see).
Betting includes an
ante to play, and is opened by rank at the beginning of each round.
Minimum bets may increase per round, as Dealer declares prior to
starting.
Variations
of this game can add wild cards and other tweaks to spice the game
and perk up the quality of winning hands. They will be discussed
later.
--
7 Card Stud --
7 Card Stud, as it sounds,
is a seven-card poker game where you play your best 5-card hand
against opponents. Dealing is as follows:
-
Everyone is dealt
"two card in the hole" (Hold Cards), and one card
is dealt to each player face up. The Lowest appearing
card opens. This is called a "Bring-In", and
forces action in the pot. Ties go to the hand closer to the
dealer from the left.
-
A 4th card is dealt
face up, followed by a round of betting led by the highest hand
shown.
-
A 5th card is turned.
Betting started by the current leader.
-
A 6th card is turned.
Betting as above.
- A 7th card is dealt
in the hole. Betting as above.
Example:
|
player
|
HOLD
Cards
|
UP
(bet)
|
2nd
(bet)
|
3rd
(bet)
|
4th
(bet)
|
RIVER
(bet)
|
|
Gus
|
6♣,
K♣
|
K♠ 4♠ 6♥ 7♣
|
4♣
|
|
Phil
|
9♣,
9♦
|
9♥
Q♥
2♦ 6♠
|
A♥
|
|
You
|
9♠,
10♣
|
J♣ 8♥
A♦ 8♠
|
7♣
|
Okay, that table was
a pain. Let's hope we can copy/paste this for the rest. Here's a
short "play-by-play":
-
At the first round,
Phil would "Bring In" having the lowest up card. Gus
raises with his high pair, which could allow Phil the chance
to re-raise. If you were crazy or felt lucky, you'd stay with
your open-ended straight and terrible odds.
-
Gus leads the second
round, having the highest exposed hand. Phil raises with trips.
You now have a 4 card open-ended straight. Tough call during
heavy betting.
-
You lead the 3rd
round with an Ace high. Gus's two pair would bet. Phil's trips
raise. How are you still in this?
-
You lead the 4th
round with a pair of 8's. Gus and Phil raise.
-
The river hold-card
gives Gus a 3rd pair. But this is poker. He'll play his highest
two pair. Phil plays his 9-9-9 with A-Q kicker. You win with
a straight, you lucky scumbag!
Some Points
of Interest:
-
Had you folded,
your fold would shift the remaining cards dealt. If you folded
after the 3rd round, your second 8 would go to Gus, Gus's 7
would go to Phil, Phil's 6 would be Gus's river, and Gus's 4
would be Phil's river. Now Gus beats Phil with a Full House.
Get it? Play it out with cards. It'll make sense.
-
Your pair of 8's
on the board may have scared Gus, assuming your only reason
for calling early was an Ace in the hole and then one on board.
Phil would play the 9's every time here, and win most of them
since even if you had an 8 in the hole, his set was higher.
-
There weren't 3
cards to a straight or flush on the table, making a Phil's set
the likely high hand. It is always important to read the possible
hands from your opponent's cards.
Strong Hands:
In 7 Card Stud, commonly
a high two pair hand or 3 of a kind will win. Straights, Flushes,
and higher are harder to come by and usually easy to see since 4
cards of that hand are in plain sight.
Most profitable hands
come from both Hold cards pairing with your Up cards, pocket pairs
making 3 of a kind, and pocket cards filling an INSIDE straight.
Conversely, if your
face cards make 3 to a suit or 3 to and open ended straight (ie:
5-6-7), or two pair, its more common for a player to suspect your
hand as the high hand, and players may not bet into it. This isn't
all bad, since these hands make for good bluffing.
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