Stud poker tips and tricks.

There are two main variants of stud poker game – 7 card stud poker and poker 5 card stud. Seven card stud is the most popular of stud poker games and is a part of WSOP, that’s why we’ll explain casino stud poker rules on the example of this poker game. In Seven Card Stud, players receive seven cards, but only a five-card combination is used to determine the winner.
Unlike Texas Hold’em and Omaha, Seven Card Stud is usually played with limited bets. For example, in limited stud poker games $ 2 / $ 4 bets are made in increments of $ 2 in the first two hands and in increments of $ 4 in the next three hands.

Casino stud poker rules

To play stud poker you need to know some specific terms and rules.
Ante
Before dealing cards all the players make a bet, called the “ante” (exact amount of the ante depends on each game, and usually appears in the title of the table). This is the cost of participation in the dealing.
Third Street
Each player initially receives three cards – two face down and one face up. In Seven Card Stud, the player with the lowest combination of up cards is the “bring-in”, and makes the first move. This player must make another forced bet (the amount of which depends on the game). Trades then continue clockwise.
Fourth Street
Each player receives another up card, called “Fourth Street”. The player with the strongest up cards plays the first. This player may either check or make a small bet (for example, $ 2 in a $ 2 / $ 4 game).
Fifth Street
Each player receives another up card, called “Fifth Street”. Again, the player who has the strongest up cards makes a move the first.
Sixth Street
Each player receives another up card, called “Sixth Street”. The player who has the strongest up cards makes a move the first.
Seventh Street or the river
Each player receives a final down card. The player with the strongest up cards starts betting. If after the last round of betting there is more than one player in the game, then the showdown takes place.
The Showdown
If there are still a few players in the game, then after the last round of betting the player, who made the last bet or raise, opens his cards first. If in the last round there was no bet, a player on the very first place shows his or her cards (1st place, then 2nd, etc.). Then the cards are opened in a clockwise direction. The bank is taken by the player with the best five-card hand. If several players have equivalent combinations, the pot is split equally among them.
Player’s Actions
In this stud poker game, as in most of other forms of poker, a player may “fold”, “check”, “bet”, “call” or “raise”. Availability of some actions depends on the actions of previous players. Each poker player always has the option to fold. If nobody did not bet, you can either check (decline to bet, but do not fold) or bet. If a player has bet, next players can fold, call or raise. “To call” means to bet necessary number of chips to call the previous player’s bet. “To raise” means to increase the amount of bet of the previous player.