7 CARD STUD

When it comes to Poker games, Draw Poker is old school, 5-Card Stud is too rare to speak of, but 7-Card Stud is alive and well. Texas Hold'Em gets all the press and makes a better spectator game, but 7 Stud is the game of choice for the hard-nut players.

Stud demands strategy and skill and it takes a lot of play to develop the winner's edge. Top caliber players are few and far between but they have one thing in common with the rookies: every player of the game is still learning, even the masters.
Let's begin with the basic rules.

Betting Limits

Stud games are defined by their betting limits. The low stakes online games are usually $2-$4 while the higher games are typically $8-$16 or $10-$20. I've seen land casino Stud at $100-$200 or higher, but these stakes are very rare on the web.

The game's betting limits tell the Stud player pretty much everything they need to know about the nature of the game, the expectations of the players, and the size of the bankroll you should have before you sit in.

Buy-In and Bankroll
Your minimum Stud Buy-In is typically 10-times the low limit, or $20 for a $2-$4 game. But playing with the minimum is not recommended.

Choosing your Game
Anything below the $10-$20 level is generally considered a beginner's game. The skill and strategy levels required in the higher games are substantial and such games generally do not provide a friendly environment for the Stud player still learning their way around.

The Ante
Ante in Stud is mandatory and changes depending on the betting limits. The low games usually require a 10% Ante, so a $5-$10 game will have a $0.50 Ante. The high games get up to 25% on the Ante: that's $25 on a $100-$200 game. The percentages may vary somewhat but 10% is the typical minimum.

Dealing
We'll use a $10-$20 game as our working example, so the Ante is $1, 10% of the low limit.
The dealer deals clockwise starting on their immediate left. They deal one card at a time around the table until each player has two pocket cards (face down) and a single up (the "door" card).
At this point the dealer indicates which player will open the betting, determined by the lowest door card. If there's a tie for low door, suit resolves it: spades over hearts, followed by diamonds, and finally clubs is the lowest.

Betting
Once the initial cards have been dealt, the game begins. At this point we've got three cards on the table per player and that's called "Third Street".

Third Street
The player holding the lowest door card must "bring it in" by opening with a bet equal to twice the ante ($2 in our example game). If the low door player doesn't make this bet, they're forced to Fold and the opener passes to the player on their left.
The next player clockwise from the opener can Call by matching the opener, Raise by betting the low betting limit ($10) or Fold. Throughout third street all Bets and Raises are fixed at the low betting limit ($10).

Fourth Street
The dealer gives each player another open (up) card. Unlike third street, the opener in the fourth and remaining streets is the high hand as determined by the open cards. They may Check (Pass) or Bet. It they Bet it's at the low limit ($10) and that fixes all raises in this round to the same.
If the high hand is an open pair, the opener can Bet at the upper limit ($20) and this fixes all Raises in the round to the same.

Fifth and Sixth Street
Again, the card is dealt up and high hand opens. All Bets and Raises are at the upper limit ($20).

Seventh Street
The last card, called the "river", is another pocket card (face down). All bets and raises are at the high limit ($20).

Showdown
After the Bets and Raises have been resolved, the remaining players enter the Showdown. The opener reveals his pocket cards. If a player wishes to compete with this hand they too reveal their pocket cards, or they can yield and muck out (Fold).
At the casino it's the dealer's responsibility to call the winner, as determined by the best 5-card hand under normal Poker rules. In online games, the software will designate the winner and the pot will be passed to them.
It is any player's right to request to see any final hand that has been mucked, though this is primarily intended for casino play.

General Strategy
Seven Card Stud is a HIGH card game. More winning hands are decided by the highest pair of two pair or just the highest pair, than by straights, flushes and other big hands. So if you start with a straight or flush draw, it should have at least two high cards or at least one card that is higher than anything up on the board. These draw hands and low pair starting hands need to improve or turn a high pair quickly to justify continued play. Any time your high hand is beaten on the board, fold, unless you think you still have the best draw hand. Fast play early high hands ( that could win without improvement) to thin out the competition. Slow play draw hands to keep other players in to increase the pot odds in case you hit.

Strategy Tips

When you start with a high pair, fast play to eliminate as many players as possible.
Slow play starting draw hands like three to a straight or a flush. You want to keep other players in to build the pot odds.
Slow play starting trips until the fifth card. You want some players around with this powerful starting hand.
Usually don't begin with a small pair unless they are concealed or your side card can beat the board.
Don't play three to a low straight or a low flush.
Watch the board closely for key cards that can seriously diminish your chances of making a good hand and for opponent’s hands that look dangerous. Play cautiously and fold out early if it looks like the tide is turning against you.
Beware of the paired door card. If an opponent is playing a pair in his starting hand, and pairs his door card (first upcard), the odds are two out of three that the door card is part of his pair. A paired door card presents a strong possibility that the holder has a dangerous set of trips.
Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent's upcards.
Try to find reasons to fold both your starting hands and those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card in the denomination that you need and for two or three dead cards in the suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition developing for the winning hand. When you can't find reasons to fold, you can then proceed aggressively..
Beware of multiple "check-arounds" on 7th St. - Straight and flush draws often hit on the last card and there is usually so little in the pot that your last card pair of Aces etc. is not a very good bet.
Study your opponents, especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they have any "tells" (give away mannerisms) that disclose information about their hands etc.
Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are really strong and need the action.
The first four cards are the major key to winning at Seven Card Stud games. If your starting hands develop according to plan, you can be a strong favorite to win. If they don't, you get out early and escape the expensive second best experience. The three card starting hands recommended above are those with the best chance of producing a dominant four card hand. Good four card hands that are carefully played don't always win but they win a lot more than the others.