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--

The following variations mimic 7 Card Stud in that you make your best 5-card poker hand from 7 cards. Winning hands will be stronger with the introduction of wild cards. But remember: there are no 6 or 7 of a kind. Poker is a 5-card game.

Here are a few variations:

 Low-Hold:

The beauty of Low Hold is that everyone gets a wild card - your Lowest Hold card is wild. I'm still not sure where the name came from.

The game plays the same as 7 Card Stud, with one exception: Players have the option to pay a set amount (pre-established by the Dealer) to have their last card placed Up. Why pay? If you have a pair of 9's in the hole, you have 2 wild cards. If the river is lower than a 9, that card becomes wild and your 9's are just 9's. Betting is the same.

Let's play this out:

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♦   3♠				A♥
You	9♠, 10♣	J♣    8♥    A♦   8♠				7♣

• Gus's low hold card is a 6 (wild), giving him 3 Kings in round 1. Phil catches the coveted pocket pair making them both wild, and then sets on the board. His 3 wild cards guarantee 4 of a kind! Your 9 is wild, making 3 cards to a straight flush, but will probably lose. Don't pay to see much more than the next card.

• Round 2: Gus has 3 Kings with a 4. Phil's 4 of a kind is now Queens. You have, well, nothing.

• Round 3: Gus catches a 6, matching his wild. He'll play 4 Kings now. Phil still has 4 Queens. You should fold.

• Round 4: Nothing has changed. Your 8's won't hold up..

• River: Gus might pay to have his placed up to keep his 6 the low card and save his four Kings. Phil would definitely pay to protect his 3 wild cards (Remeber, a lower card than his previous hold cards becomes his wild card). The Ace give him a Royal flush, played A♥-9-Q♥-9-9, winning the hand. You lost, but you would have folded well before it cost too much.

Winning Hands:

Look to have 2-3 wild cards at minimum to have a good chance in this game. Watch out with a low 4 of a kind, as it can be topped. Straight flushes and 5 of a kind can be beaten, but are usually top hands.

When everyone has wildcards, someone is bound to get more. One player will always emerge with a strong hand. In this example, Gus had a seemingly great hand, but was bound to lose as Phil had too many options. These games can be expensive and as such, betting limits should be set low. This type of game is a lot of fun in moderation.

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