Seven Card Stud Poker

📌 Quick Info

  • Name of the Game: Seven Card Stud Poker
  • Number of Players: 2 to 8
  • Decks Required: 1 Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers)

🎯 Objective

To make the best five-card poker hand out of the seven cards you’re dealt — using any combination of face-up and face-down cards.

🛠️ What You Need

  • 1 deck of 52 playing cards
  • Poker chips for betting
  • A table with space for face-up cards

🔄 How to Play – Step by Step

▶️ Setup

  1. Each player antes (places a small bet) before cards are dealt.
  2. Players are dealt 2 face-down cards and 1 face-up card.

▶️ Betting Rounds

1. Third Street

Each player gets 2 cards face-down + 1 face-up. The lowest face-up card starts betting.

2. Fourth Street

One more face-up card is dealt. Betting starts with the player showing the strongest hand.

3. Fifth Street

One more face-up card is dealt. Another round of betting follows.

4. Sixth Street

One more face-up card. Betting continues.

5. Seventh Street (aka River)

Each player gets one last card face-down. Final betting round begins.

6. Showdown

Remaining players reveal their cards. Best five-card hand wins the pot.

🧠 Game Scenarios

  • Strong Board: If you show 10♠ J♠ Q♠ — opponents may fold fearing a straight or flush.
  • Hidden Strength: 3♣ 3♦ (face-down) + 3♠ (face-up) = You have Three of a Kind hidden from others.

📜 Rules

  • Players must use their best 5 cards out of 7.
  • 3 cards are face-down (private), 4 are face-up (public).
  • No community cards — each player gets their own 7 cards.

⚙️ Optional / House Rules

  • Hi/Lo Split: Pot can be split between highest and lowest qualifying hands.
  • Fixed Limit Betting: Used commonly — betting amount is fixed in each round.

🧮 Card Rankings

  • Same as Texas Hold’em and Five Card Draw:
  • Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, etc.

🎮 Example Game

  • Down Cards: K♦, K♣
  • Up Cards: K♠, 8♠, 5♥, 2♦
  • Final Down Card: 3♣
  • Best Hand: K♠ K♦ K♣ 8♠ 5♥ = Three of a Kind

📚 History & Origin

  • Was the most popular poker variant before Texas Hold’em took over.
  • Played in casinos, home games, and on TV in the early 20th century.
  • Still played in the World Series of Poker under mixed-game formats.
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