Seven-Card Stud
The classic stud game and the backbone of home poker for decades: seven cards dealt to each player, three down and four up, with the best five-card hand winning.
Rules
Seven-Card Stud is played with no community cards. Each player is dealt seven cards over the course of the hand, but only ever holds seven of their own — there is no draw and no shared board.
Deal: Each player antes, then receives two cards face down (the "hole" cards) and one card face up (the "door card"). A betting round follows, started by the player showing the lowest door card (who must post a forced "bring-in" bet); in some home games the highest door card instead has the option to bet first.
Streets: After the first betting round, players still in the hand receive a fourth card face up ("fourth street"), followed by another betting round, started by whoever shows the best exposed hand. This repeats for fifth street and sixth street, each up-card followed by a betting round. Finally, each remaining player receives a seventh card face down ("seventh street" or "the river"), followed by a final betting round.
Showdown: Players use any five of their seven cards to make the best standard poker hand. High hand wins the pot. Betting limits typically increase on fifth street and beyond in fixed-limit games (e.g., $2/$4 for the first two streets, $4/$8 afterward).
Strategy notes: Because so many cards are exposed, reading opponents' up-cards for made hands, live cards, and dead cards (cards that reduce the odds a needed card remains in the deck) is central to the game.
Common house rules
Low card brings it in
The player with the lowest door card must post a small forced bet (the bring-in) to start action on third street; ties are broken by suit rank (spades high) in many home games.
Seven-Two Stud twist
Some tables award a bonus or side pot to any player who wins showdown holding 7-2 as their two hole cards, as a nod to the worst starting hand in hold'em.
Misdeal on exposed hole card
If a dealer accidentally exposes a player's hole card during the initial deal, many home games treat the first exposed card as that player's new door card rather than reshuffling.
Related games
Based on shared category, origin, and rules that reference each other.
Auction
A Seven-Card Stud variant where the wild card for the hand isn't fixed in advance — players bid chips into a side pot for the right to name it, right after third street.
Learn the rules →Baseball
A high-variance Seven-Card Stud variant themed after the sport: 3s are always wild, and any player dealt a 4 face up may buy an extra card.
Learn the rules →Black Mariah
An intense Chicago variant, also called Follow the Bitch: the queen of spades is wild, and the lowest spade in the hole (not the highest) wins half the pot.
Learn the rules →Chicago
A Seven-Card Stud variant where half the pot is awarded not for the best hand, but for the highest spade dealt face down in the hole.
Learn the rules →