Introduction
No community cards. Each player receives 7 cards (3 down, 4 up) and makes the best 5-card hand. The highest hand wins.
Game Flow
- Each player posts an ante.
- Dealt 2 down cards + 1 up card.
- Third Street: First betting round (lowest up card acts first).
- Fourth Street: 2nd up card dealt → betting (lowest up card acts first).
- Fifth Street: 3rd up card → betting (now highest hand showing acts first).
- Sixth Street: 4th up card → betting.
- Seventh Street: Final card dealt face down → final betting round.
- Showdown: Best 5-card poker hand wins.
Hand Rankings
Standard poker rankings apply (Royal Flush strongest, High Card weakest):
Royal Flush
A♠
K♠
Q♠
J♠
10♠
Full House
K♥
K♦
K♣
7♠
7♦
High Card Example
A♠
J♣
9♦
6♥
3♠
Best Starting Hands
- Premium: Rolled-up trips (e.g., 8♠ 8♣ 8♦)
- Strong: High pairs with high kicker (e.g., A♥ A♠ K♣)
- Playable Draws: Three to a straight/flush if high and live.
- Avoid: Low unpaired cards with no draw potential.
Strategy Guide
- Memorize Up Cards: Track visible cards to assess hand strength and outs.
- Steal Antes: Raise with strong up cards to force folds.
- Beware of “Bricks”: Avoid drawing to weak straights/flushes with dead outs.
- Position Matters Less: Unlike Hold’em, all players see the same board, focus on hand strength and dead cards.
- Cap Betting: Many Stud games cap raises (e.g., 1 bet + 3 raises per round).