Seven Card Stud Poker

Object of the Game

The goal of each player is to win the pot, which contains all the bets that the players have made in any one deal. A player makes a bet in hopes that they have the best pot, which to give the impression that they do. In most Poker versions, the top combination of five cards is the best hand.

The Deal

Each player receives two cards face down and then one card face up, dealt one at a time in rotation.

The Play

After the initial deal, there is a betting interval. Each active player receives three more face up cards and one more face down card, with a betting interval after each round of cards dealt. In the showdown, each player turns up all of their hole cards and selects five of their seven cards as their hand. The player must separate these cards from the other two, which they discard. The player cannot reclaim their discards upon finding that a better five-card combination could have been made.

Poker Hand

Five of a Kind - This is the highest possible hand and can occur only where at least one card is wild, such as a Joker. Examples of five of a kind would be four 10s and a wild card or two Queens and three wild cards.

Straight Flush - This is the highest possible hand when only the standard pack is used, and there are no wild cards. A straight flush consists of five cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of hearts.

Four of a Kind - This is the next highest hand. An example is four aces or four 3s.

Full House - This colorful hand is made up of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as three 8s and two 4s.

Flush - Five cards all of the same suit, but not all in sequence, is a flush. An example is Q, 10, 7, 6, and 2 of clubs.

Straight - Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit is a straight. An example is 9♥, 8♣, 7♠, 6♦, 5♥.

Three of a Kind - This combination contains three cards of the same rank, and the other two cards each of a different rank, such as three Jacks, a seven, and a four.

Two Pairs - This hand contains a pair of one rank and another pair of a different rank, plus any fifth card of a different rank, such as Q, Q, 7, 7, 4.

One Pair - This frequent combination contains just one pair with the other three cards being of different rank. An example is 10, 10, K, 4, 3.

No Pair - This very common hand contains "nothing." None of the five cards pair up, nor are all five cards of the same suit or consecutive in rank. When more than one player has no pair, the hands are rated by the highest card each hand contains, so that an ace-high hand beats a king-high hand, and so on.