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Possibly the most well-known poker game in the world, Seven Card Stud is a classic poker game which can take a lifetime to master. In Seven Card Stud, players are dealt seven cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best five-card poker hand possible for each player is used to determine the winner. Follow this link to view the rankings of Seven Card Stud poker hands: poker hand rankings.

Unlike Texas Holdem and Omaha, Seven Card Stud poker is only played with a limit betting structure.

Rules for Seven Card Stud

Before a game of Seven Card Stud poker begins, all players ante a nominal amount (the exact amount depends on the game, and is displayed in the table’s title bar). Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make another nominal bet or a full small bet (again, the exact size of the bring-in depends on the game). Action continues clockwise around the table until betting is complete for the round.

Note: For the purposes of determining the bring-in in Seven Card Stud, ties in card rank are broken by suit, with the order from highest to lowest being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. The lowest suit brings in, so if the deuce of hearts and deuce of clubs are visible at the beginning of the hand, then the deuce of clubs would have the bring-in.

Each player now receives an exposed card, called "Fourth Street". The first player to act is the individual whose exposed stud cards have the highest poker value. This player may either check or bet. If no player shows a pair amongst his or her exposed cards, the bet will be a small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). If any player shows a pair, the betting can be opened for a big bet ($4 in a $2/$4 game).

Each player now receives another exposed card, called "Fifth Street". Again the first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.

Note: Starting on Fifth Street and for the rest of the hand, all bets are in big bet increments ($4 in a $2/$4 game).

Each player now receives another exposed card, called "Sixth Street". Again, the first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.

Each player now receives a seventh and final card, which is dealt face-down and known only to the player to whom the card is dealt. The first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.

If there is more than one remaining stud player when the final betting round is complete, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player in the earliest seat shows his or her cards first (Seat 1, then Seat 2, and so on).

The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the event of identical poker hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.

After the pot is awarded, a new online game of seven card stud poker is ready to be played.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Variant

Another version of Seven Card Stud, called Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo (aka Stud Eight or Better or Stud 8) is also available in PokerStars' poker room . In this variant of stud, there are two potential winners each hand, one person for holding the best high hand and one person for holding the best low hand, provided the low hand is an eight low or better.