7-Card Stud - the Rules of the Game

7-Card Stud (Hi)
- The Rules of the Game

Basic Rules

• In 7-Card Stud, you are dealt 2 down cards (hole cards) and 1 up card to start with.
• If you stay in all the way, you will end up with 3 down cards and 4 up cards (your last card will be dealt down, as were your first two cards).
• The idea is to use your 3 hole cards and your 4 up cards to make the best poker hand that you can make.
• You may use any 5 of the 7 cards that you have in order to make your poker hand.
• Most stud games you will play are structured, with betting limits.
• This is how it works at a $2/$4 limit table: The first 2 rounds of betting would be at the lower amount and the last 3 betting rounds would be at the higher amount. In other words, in the first 2 rounds of betting and raising, all bets would be in the $2 amounts and in the last 3 rounds of betting and raising, all bets would be in $4 amounts.

The Play - (and we will look at a standard $2 and $4 Limit Stud Hi game).

• All players will put up an ANTE (usually $.50) before the cards are dealt.
• Those that choose not to ANTE, will be dealt out.
• All players will then be dealt 2 down cards and 1 up card.
• The low card (face up) will be required to start the betting (usually $.50). The lowest card is the 2 of clubs, and if more than one player has the same low card, the lowest is determined by alphabetically (2c, 2d, 2h, 2s).
• Players may fold, call the $.50 bet or raise the bet to $2.
• At this point, all bets and raises will be at the $2 amount.
• You must decide, based on how well you like your first 3 cards, whether to stay in the pot or get out.
• You will have 3 choices at this point - (1) call the opening bet, (2) raise the bet, (3) fold your hand.
• If you decide to stay in, you will get another up card, the high card will then start the action and there will be another round of betting at the $2 limit.
• If you are still in at this point, you will get another up card and all bets and raises will be made at the $4 limit. (Note: from this point on, all bets and raises will be made at the $4 limit).
• The last and final card will then be dealt down, followed by a 1 last round of betting.
• After all the betting has been made, the players will turn over their cards and the best hand will be awarded the pot.
• If you run out of money during the play of any hand, you still get to stay in the pot for the remainder of the hand and get action on the money that you did bet.

Special Note: On 4th street (two cards down, two cards face up), anyone with a pair on the board can DOUBLE BET the pot. If the person with the pair chooses not to do this, anyone else in the hand can raise the pot (double). With online games, there is usually a special button that illuminates for you to use when making this bet (only on 4th street). At PSO, it's located on the stud table in the lower left of the cardroom. Be advised, the software takes about a 2 second delay to detect the pair on board, so wait for the light to illuminate.

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