7-Card-Stud is very different to Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Although the hand rankings are still the same and the action rotates in a clockwise direction there is much that is unique to this game.
Antes
There are no blinds in 7-Card-Stud. Instead each hand begins with every player putting in an ante – a small amount of money which is usually only a fraction of the size of a small bet.
One the antes have been posted each player is dealt three cards - two face down (known as “down cards”) and one face up (known as the “door card”).
The Bring In
To start the game off the player with the lowest exposed card must make a forced bet. This is called the “bring in” and is usually the value of a small bet. (If two players have the same lowest door card then the player with the card of the lowest suit makes the bring in. Spades are the highest ranked suit, followed by hearts, then diamonds and then clubs. Suits are ranked only for this purpose – their ranks have no relevance in the late stages of the game.)
Once the player with the lowest exposed card has made the bring in it is up to the player on his immediate left to decide what to do. Like in Texas Hold’em he has three options, he can fold, call or raise. The action continues in this way until all bets are equal.
Fourth Street
After the first round of betting each player is dealt a fourth card, face up. This is called the fourth street. Once again the player with the highest exposed cards begins the betting. When two players have an unpaired ace the value of the kicker determines who goes first, and so on.
7-Card-Stud is a fixed limit game, meaning bets are restricted to pre-determined values. In a $2-$4 game for example, bets on fourth street are restricted to $2, moving up to $4 on fifth street and thereafter.
The exception to this is when a player has an exposed pair on Fourth Street. When this occurs the player with the pair may make a double bet; so in a $2-$4 game he will be able to bet $4. Whether he chooses to make a double bet or not is up to him: he has the option to make a standard bet.
Fifth & Sixth Street
After the betting is concluded on fourth street a fifth card is dealt face up to all players remaining in the hand. No surprises that it is called Fifth Street! There follows a round of betting at the increased level ($4 in a $2-$4 game) after which a sixth card is dealt, again face up. There follows a further round of betting at the same level.
The River
The final card, the river, is dealt face down to each player. There follows a final round of betting, after which, if more than one player remains, the hands will be revealed and the player with the best five-card-hand wins.
Important Considerations
7-Card-Stud requires a number of different skills to Texas Hold’em. Like bridge, the most important attributes in this game are attention to detail and a good memory.
Imagine you are dealt As-2s in the hole and your door card is the 7s. This is a great starting hand for a flush, but not much else. But your chances of making that flush depend on how many clubs there are left in the deck.
Well, because every player has one exposed card at this point you can begin to gather some useful information – principally how many clubs can you see? If you are playing with 6 other players and there are 3 or 4 clubs on show then you will know your chances of hitting the clubs you need to make your flush are pretty low. If, on the other hand, there are no clubs on show then you have a good chance.
You need to maintain the same attention to detail when assessing other players hands as well. If an opposing player has two exposed flush cards (say diamonds) after Fourth Street and you think he is on a flush draw you need to know how many other diamonds are on show. And just as important are the cards of those players who folded. If three players have folded and you can remember that one of them had two exposed diamonds and both the other players had one diamond each, you are at a huge advantage for assessing the strength of your opponents draw.
So combine a good memory with meticulous attention to detail and you will be a great stud player given time. Pay attention to every exposed card on display and remember all those that have been folded; it’s a lot of work, but the advantage you gain is immeasurable.