Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud is a popular, well-known form of poker. It is played with up
to eight players at the table.
The Game:
Before the start of the game, the BahaPoker.com system generates a fresh deck
of cards internally for the first hand. On PokerStars, we use a single deck of cards to play a hand of poker,
where a deck refers to 52 cards excluding the jokers. Online pocker rooms use what is called the Random Number
Generator (RNG) to shuffle a deck of cards before the hand.
How does it work?
The system generates a random set of numbers, which are used to place each
card in a particular, random, position in the deck. Once the complete deck is created, the deck is used for
that particular hand only.
We shuffle the deck of cards every time we start a hand; the random numbers
previously generated are discarded and new ones are generated before the shuffle.
The First round:
A fresh table starts off with all the players posting an “ante” (putting a
predetermined amount in the pot before the cards are dealt). The ante is usually based on the size of the game.
For e.g. the ante amount for a 1/2 table might be 25 cents while for a 3/6 table, it would be 50 cents. In
Seven-card stud poker, players receive seven cards, three "down" cards and four "up" cards.
After the antes have been placed each player is dealt three cards (two "down"
cards and one "up" card). The "up" card is also known as the "door card" or "Third Street". The person with the
lowest "up" card must initiate the action with a "Bring-In" bet. (If two or more players have the same lowest
card, the person who brings it in is determined by suit order progressing from clubs, diamonds, hearts, and
spades.)
Each player is allowed one bet and three raises in each betting round. To
continue to play, players must take an action from what is displayed to them on each "street" or betting round
(unless they are all-in).
The Second Round:
After the first round of betting another card is dealt face-up to each player
that still remains in the pot (those who didn't fold on "third street"). This is "Fourth Street" (the second
round of betting). From "Fourth Street" on, the highest hand showing begins the action by checking or betting.
If a pair is showing on "Fourth Street", the player has the option to make a single or double bet. If a player
makes a single/double bet, the other players may call, raise the single bet, raise the double bet or fold. In
case of a double bet, only an equal amount can be raised (to the extent of the double bet).
The Third Round:
Upon completion of the betting on "fourth street", another card is dealt
face-up to those who remain in the pot. This is called "Fifth Street" (in this, the third round of betting, the
maximum bet is double what was available in the first two rounds and it continues at this amount for the
remaining betting rounds). The highest hand showing again starts the action by checking or betting.
The Fourth Round:
Upon the completion of betting on "fifth street", another card is dealt
face-up. This is "Sixth Street" (fourth betting round).
The Fifth Round:
The final card is dealt down. The last card is also known as the "River Card"
or "Seventh Street" (final round of betting).
Some standard rules
A maximum of four bets, which includes one bet and three raises, are allowed
for each betting round per player. To continue to be in on the stakes of a game, players must take an action
from a number of choices displayed to them on each "street" or betting round (unless they are all-in). The term
cap is used to describe the final raise in a round since betting is then capped and no one can make another
raise. Once capped, players will have the option of calling or folding only. Folding can be done at any stage
of the game. The action of folding basically removes the player from the action, giving him/her no rights over
any pots left on the table.
