The third most popular version of online poker and still a classic at real card tables is Seven-Card Stud. It is the most popular in home games across the United States and in casinos.
There can be two to eight players, though the more players, the trickier the rules get.
Play proceeds with betting rounds in between hands. The betting goes clockwise and the player with the highest hand showing starts.
Dealing goes like this:
Two cards are dealt face-down and one card face-up, to each player.
Up-card (fourth street)
Up-card (fifth street)
Up-card (sixth street)
Down-card (seventh street/river)
“Mississippi Stud” is a variant in which the betting round between fourth and fifth street is removed, making just four betting rounds altogether. In this game, the River card is dealt face-up. This version resembles Texas Hold’em.
When two players have equally ranked low cards, suit may be used to break the tie and assign the bring-in. If there is no bring-in, then the first betting round begins with the player showing the highest-ranking up-card, who may check. Suit should not be used to break ties.
After the first betting round, another up-card is dealt to the players, followed by a second round beginning with the player whose up-cards make the best poker hand. Since there are fewer than five cards which are face up, there are no straights, flushes, or full houses which can count for this purpose. On this and all subsequent betting rounds, the player whose face-up cards make the best hand will be the first to act, and may check or bet up to the maximum limit.
The next rounds proceed in a similar manner. Seven-card stud can be summarized as “two down, four up, one down”. Upon showdown, each player makes the best five-card poker hand which he can out of the seven cards which he was dealt.
