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Seven Card Stud
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To play seven card stud, you will need a deck of fifty two cards, poker chips and players numbering at least two but usually topping out at seven. One of the most important parts about this game to remember is that when you are beginning to learn how to play 7 card stud you will get 7 cards that you will use to build your five card hand. You aren't required to use any specific cards from the seven cards that you are dealt. You simply pick the five cards that build you the best hand.
Here are the step by step instructions for how to play seven card stud:
First, All players ante up. If you are very new to the game of poker, an ante is the beginning amount of money that all players are required to put into the betting pot. It is the same amount for each player and is used to build the betting pool.
Next, beginning with the player on his or her left hand side, the card dealer deals three cards to each player. Two of these cards are dealt face down and one card is dealt face up. The cards that are face down are called the hole or the pocket cards.
Each of the players then looks at their two hole/pocket cards.
Then the player whose face-up card is the lowest of the bunch is required to place a small bet in the pot. This bet is called the bring in. After that, the betting continues, starting with the player to the left of the bring in player. From here on out, the betting and playing consists of calling the bet, raising the bet or folding one's cards.
Once the betting has finished, each player is dealt one card and that card is dealt face up. This face-up card is called the turn or sometimes it is known as fourth street.
After the fourth street card has been dealt there is a second round of betting. This round of betting begins with the player whose fourth street card is the highest. From now on in the game, the betting circle will start with whoever is dealt the highest card.
Once the fourth street round of betting has completed, a fifth card is dealt, face up, to each player. This card is called the river or fifth street. Yet another round of betting happens. After that round is complete a sixth card is dealt. This card is also face up. Another round of betting happens.
After the sixth card's round of betting has finished the seventh (and final) card is dealt to each player face-down. This begins the final round of betting amongst the players.
After the final round of betting has concluded, all of the game's players have a showdown, which is when each player shows his or her cards. The player whose five-card hand (remember, this hand is made from all of the seven cards that are dealt) is the highest is the winner.
There is another version of seven card stud that can be played. This game is called either Hi/Lo or High-Low. In this version of seven cards stud, whoever has the highest hand (in a typical game he or she is the sole winner) splits the betting pot with whichever player has the lowest hand. Many times when playing Hi/Lo, the game is played eight or better. Eight or better typically means that for a hand to be qualified as low it isn't allowed to contain any card that is higher than an eight.
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