Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud once held the top spot in US poker. Texas Hold’em later overtook it, but the classic game still has followers. Simple rules make it popular for home games and often learned after Five Card Draw.
Seven Card Stud is an ideal betting game for children or new players to progress from Five Card Draw. Players of all levels enjoy the simple rules. Three of the five games in HORSE are variations of Stud: Razz, standard Seven Card Stud, and Eights or Better.
How to play Seven Card Stud
In tournament poker, Seven Card Stud follows these rules:
Players bet after receiving two cards, then reveal one card face up, followed by another betting round. This repeats for the fourth, fifth, and sixth cards, with betting each time. The final round is a face-down seventh card, and a final bet.
What it offers
Stud is easy to learn and has a developed betting game. It suits newer players and offers challenge for veterans. Alternate rules keep it engaging. Stud provides a unique game for any play style.
Seven Card Stud variations
Seven Card Stud has numerous variations, each with their own versions. In home games, it’s essential to clarify rules. Popular Seven Card Stud variations include:
Chicago
Chicago or Black Mariah is a Seven Card Stud split-pot game. The pot divides between the highest hand and the highest spade in the hole. One player can win both.
Deuces, Jacks, Man with the Axe, Pair of Natural Sevens Takes All
This variant is a popular Seven Card Stud variant. Twos, Jacks, and the King of Diamonds are wild cards. The hand features high-ranking hands and complicates betting. It started as a 5 card stud game and has a rhyming name, which attracts children.
Kings and Little Ones
Kings and Little Ones is a wild card variant where kings and the lowest card are wild. A sub-variation requires a king for the “little one” to be wild. Players receive two down and four up cards. The last card is player’s choice up or down.
Mississippi Stud
This is a popular Seven Card Stud variant where the last card is up. There’s no betting between the fourth and fifth rounds. Unlike Hold’em, each player owns the up cards. The game is rapidly gaining popularity.
Razz
Razz is the low version of Seven Card Stud, with players competing to have the lowest hand. In Razz, having a straight or flush doesn’t result in a penalty for the player. “The wheel” is the lowest possible hand, from Ace to 5.
Sweat
This Seven Card Stud variation has all cards dealt face-down. Players cannot see their cards, resulting in blind betting. The first player reveals a card and betting follows. Each player reveals cards until they beat the previous player. Players who can’t win are out. Players with later reveals decide to bet or fold. The first players know others’ hands, but not their own.