Seven card stud is a poker game for 2 to 8 players using a standard 52 card deck, with no community cards in the usual deal. Each player gets seven cards of their own, three face down and four face up, with a betting round after each new card, and the best five card poker hand made from your seven cards wins the pot at the showdown.
Before Texas Hold'em took over, seven card stud was the poker game most home players knew. It's still one of the most played forms, says pagat.com, and it's a great game for learning to read a table, because you can see four of every opponent's cards. These rules follow the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement's official procedure, with home game notes from pagat.com and Bicycle.
Seats, cards and what each player is dealt
| What you need | Seven card stud |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 to 8 at home, best with 5 to 7 (New Jersey tables seat up to nine) |
| Deck | One standard 52 card deck |
| Your cards | 7 in total: 3 face down (hole cards) and 4 face up |
| Hole cards | Your first, second and seventh cards |
| Betting rounds | 5, called third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh street |
| Winning hand | Best five cards from your seven |
The ante and the bring in
Everyone usually puts a small ante into the pot before the deal. Then each player gets two cards face down and one face up. Now comes the rule most beginners get backwards. Under the New Jersey rules, the first betting round is started by the player showing the lowest up card, not the highest. That forced opening bet is called the bring in.
If two players show the same low card, suit breaks the tie. New Jersey ranks the suits from spades (highest) through hearts and diamonds to clubs (lowest), so the two of clubs would bring it in ahead of the two of hearts. Pagat.com confirms the lowest card bring in is now the normal rule in formal games.
Third street to seventh street, card by card
- Ante, then deal two cards face down and one face up to each player. Third street betting starts with the bring in.
- Deal a fourth card face up. From now on, the player with the best poker hand showing acts first and can bet or check.
- Deal a fifth card face up, then a betting round.
- Deal a sixth card face up, then a betting round.
- Deal the seventh and last card face down, then the final betting round.
- Everyone still in turns up their hole cards and picks their best five cards. The best hand wins the pot.
On fourth street and after, pairs and three of a kind count when deciding who acts first, but pagat.com notes that unfinished straights and flushes showing don't. If two players show equal hands, New Jersey gives the first action to the player closest to the dealer's left.
Picking your best five from seven
At the showdown you use any five of your seven cards. Bicycle adds a firm rule for home games: once you've separated your five and thrown the other two away, you can't take the discards back if you spot a better hand later. The standard ranking is the same as every other poker game:
| Hand | Example |
|---|---|
| Straight flush | 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of hearts |
| Four of a kind | Four 3s |
| Full house | Three 8s and two 4s |
| Flush | Q, 10, 7, 6, 2 of clubs |
| Straight | 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 of mixed suits |
| Three of a kind | Three jacks |
| Two pairs | Q, Q, 7, 7, 4 |
| One pair | 10, 10, K, 4, 3 |
| High card | Nothing matches, so the highest card decides |
When the deck runs short with eight players
Seven cards each for eight people can run the deck dry, especially if nobody folds. Pagat.com and the New Jersey rules both handle this the same way: if there aren't enough cards left for everyone's last card, one card is dealt face up in the middle as a shared community card, and it counts as everyone's seventh card. Folded cards are dead and never go back into the deck.
Razz, stud eight or better and other stud versions
- Seven card stud high low: the pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand.
- Stud eight or better: in the split game, a low hand only qualifies if it has no pairs and no card above an 8. If nobody qualifies, the high hand takes the whole pot.
- Razz: stud played for the lowest hand only, where the highest up card brings it in.
- Low hole (also called Late Show): your lowest face down card is wild, for you only.
- English stud: you can swap one card after fifth and sixth street.
To practise stud hands without gathering a full table, try my guide to free poker games you can play offline. For a lighter card night with no betting at all, try my list of games for two with one deck.
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My verdict on stud for a home game
Seven card stud suits players who like to think. You get lots of information from the up cards, so memory pays off. For a first home game, play with chips or counters only, keep the bring in small, and talk through who acts first on every street until it sticks. The mistake to avoid is ignoring the cards other people have folded. If three players folded queens, your pair of queens has nowhere to go. And as with any card game that involves betting, set a limit before you sit down, take breaks, and keep it a game.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you get in seven card stud?
Seven: three face down and four face up. Your first two cards and your last card are face down, and you use your best five.
Who brings it in in seven card stud?
Under the New Jersey rules, the player with the lowest up card on third street makes the forced bring in bet, with ties broken by suit.
How many betting rounds are there in seven card stud?
There are five betting rounds, called third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh street.
Who acts first after third street?
From fourth street onwards, the player with the best poker hand showing acts first.
What happens if the deck runs out in seven card stud?
If there aren't enough cards for everyone's last card, one community card is dealt face up and counts as every player's seventh card.
