5/7 Card Stud Rules - Texas Holdem Rules - Omaha High-Low Rules

? A key thing to remember about five-card stud (and poker in general): Don?t be afraid to fold early, even after the first
round, if you have mediocre cards. While it?s true that occasionally you will catch some good cards and improve your weak
opening cards, in the long run, it?s better to play the percentages and fold early. Back to Top

? There is a variety of opinions about what players should stay in the game after being dealt their first two cards. Conventionally, players will fold after the first two cards if they do not have a high pair, two high cards, or an Ace or
King high. If you have less than this, only stay in if the other up cards can?t beat you or the betting is light and it is
worth staying in to get another card.

? If you are dealt a low pair (not to be confused with Omaha Low) with the first two cards, be wary of staying in the game too long, particularly if you do not
get a three of a kind with the third card. Also, if another player has a high card showing and is betting aggressively, he
might have a high pair.

? If you are dealt two suited cards and are thinking about chasing a flush, proceed with caution. Going for a flush in five-
card stud is risky even after having three or four suited cards. It is particularly dangerous if your suited cards are low.
If one of the cards is high, you still have a chance of at least getting a high pair. If you try for the flush, you must pay
attention to whether any of the up cards in your opponents? hands are of the same suit, which would reduce your chance of
completing the flush.

? If the cards you need to improve your hand are visible in your opponents? hands, they are ?dead? to you. When you are
trying to complete a straight, look around the table to see if another player is holding cards you could use; if they are,
your chances are greatly reduced. For instance, if after the first three cards you have J-1O-9, and you notice that two
opponents are showing 8s and another has a Queen, your chances of filling that straight are in jeopardy. In five-card stud,
it is crucial to continually assess and reassess your chances of improving your hand. Back to Top

? You can also get a sense of whether your opponents? hands can be improved by looking at their up cards. For instance, if
you have three 2s (two showing and one in the hole) and an opponent is showing two Aces, look around the table and see if any other Aces are exposed. If other Aces are exposed, your probability of winning is greater.

? Don?t be self-centered. While you might stay in the hopes of trying to improve your hand, remember your opponents are doing the same thing- take special note of this poker tip. For instance, let?s say an opponent?s up card is a King and you have a 7 as your up card and a 10 in the hole. If you stay in with the hopes of getting a pair, keep in mind that your opponent has the same odds of pairing his King. If your opponent begins raising or stepping up his betting in later rounds, he might have gotten that pair, so proceed
cautiously. In stud games, always keep an eye on the other cards on the table. Knowing what is on the table allows you to
reassess the odds. Using our example from above, if two other players are also dealt a King, the chances of anyone getting a pair of Kings are dramatically reduced.

? Don?t play a hand that you know is lower than your opponents? hand. If the up cards in an opponent?s hand are better than
yours, fold, even if you are holding a pair or better. You might get lucky and improve your hand enough to win, but as the
expression goes, don?t bet on it. Back to Top

? In most mestud gas, the betting gets stiffer as you get into the later rounds. If you are still in by the third round, you
must consider whether the amount of the pot is large enough to warrant staying in with an uncertain hand. One way to think
about this is that by placing a bet you are essentially ?buying? another card. So, if your opponent makes a bet, you must
assess whether it is worth calling his bet to get another card in the hopes of improving your hand. Again, this should only
be done after weighing the various factors, such as what your opponents are showing and whether the cards you need are still ?live.?

? Use your hole card to your advantage. In general having a ?split? pair is better than having an exposed poker pair. For instance,
if you have an Ace in the hole (now you know where the expression comes from) and one showing, you are at a distinct
advantage compared to having both Aces showing. Your opponents will be left to guess whether your high betting means you?ve got an Ace hidden or you?re bluffing.

? In general, if you?ve got a ?cinch? hand by the final round (though remember nothing is 100 percent certain), bet
aggressively. Back to Top

SEVEN-CARD STUD
where the pots get bigger

PLAYERS: 2 to 7.
CARDS: Seven total: three in the hole, four up cards.
BETTING: Five rounds. Intensifies in the later rounds.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Is your hand improving? Are your opponents? hands? Are the cards you need still ?live??
WHAT WINS: Usually two pair or better wins, with one of the pairs being a high pair. Back to Top

SEVEN-CARD STUD - Game Guide

As the name suggests, seven-card stud is a stud game with seven cards, in which four are up and three are in the hole. Each
player selects five of his or her cards to make the best hand (the other two cards are irrelevant to the outcome of the
game). With several rounds of betting, pots can get pretty big pretty quickly, and betting intensifies in the late rounds.
Seven-card stud is a fun game and hands take longer to develop, which entices many players to stay in longer. The three hole cards provide suspense and opportunities for bluffing. Seven- card stud is also demanding?good players keep a close eye on their opponents? up cards, notice how their opponents? betting changes with each new card, and remember what cards have been folded. Note: Many people play seven-card stud as a Hi-low game, which adds yet another element of strategy to the game. Back to Top
In the first round, the dealer gives each player one card facedown, starting with the player on his left. He continues with a
second down card and finishes by dealing a third card up. This up card is sometimes referred to as the door card.
Generally, the player with the highest up card starts the betting (some play with the low card opening the first round). If
two or more players share the highest- ranking up card, the person closest to the dealer?s left begins the betting. This
first round, sometimes known as ?third street? (each player has three cards), ends after each player has either placed his or
her bet or folded. Next comes ?fourth street?; at this point, all remaining players get another up card, followed by another round of betting.
There are two more rounds of up cards and betting (fifth street and sixth street), followed by the final card, which is dealt
facedown to all remaining players. At this point, all remaining players have four up cards and three cards in the hole. After
the final round of betting, the players show their hands and the one with the best hand takes the pot. Back to Top

Tips & Strategy

? Seven-card stud allows a little more flexibility than five-card stud, but you still need to be careful about staying in too
long with a questionable hand. Many experienced poker players will tell you that the first round is crucial?they will fold
if, in the first round, they are not dealt at least a high pair, a pair in the hole, a pair with a high card, a three-flush,
or a three-straight. Back to Top

? If you are initially dealt a low pair, and your hand does not improve with the next two cards, you should fold. Of course,
t here is some flexibility here depending on the betting and other players? cards. However, if you don?t have much of anything after the first four cards, you should consider folding.

? In the first round, if you are dealt a three-straight or a three-flush, stay in. But if you do not improve to a four-card
straight or flush after two more up cards, fold. However, if after five cards you have a four-card straight or flush, draw
the sixth and seventh card unless you think another player has you beat, or many of the cards you need are dead.

? If you are dealt three of a kind (a.k.a. trips) in the opening round, count your blessings. However, be careful about how
you bet. Three of a kind might be strong enough to win the hand without any improvement, so you don?t want to drive anyone out too quickly. In the first couple of rounds keep the betting moderate: Call bets and don?t raise. If your hand still looks like a winner once the high streets roll around (fifth to seventh), start raising the stakes, since the remaining players are
less likely to give up on their investment in the pot. Back to Top

? If you are playing at a tight table and your two hole cards are a high pair, your early round of betting should be
conservative. If you have a pair of Aces in the hole and a 4 showing and start with a big bet, people will fold, figuring you
have something buried.

? If you are playing at a loose table and you are dealt a high pair, you can be a bit more aggressive with your betting.
Players will be more willing to stick around in seven-card stud since hands take longer to develop. And don?t worry if some
players told?it will decrease the number of people competing for the pot.

? It you begin with a high split pair in the early rounds, many experienced players will tell you to raise the betting. At
this point, your hand is strong but not unbeatable and you?ll need to catch another good card or two. You want to get rid of
some players while it is cheap to do so. (The betting gets much higher in the later rounds, and people who have made it that tar are less likely to fold.) With opening high pairs, always consider if another player has a higher door card, in which
case you should moderate your betting because he or she might have a pair that can beat you.

? As in five-card stud, keep a close eye on what your opponents? up cards are and try to remember what cards have been
folded. If you know what cards are dead to you and what ?outs? you have remaining, you are in a better position to know if
your hand can be improved. Likewise, by having a sense of what cards are on the table, you can get a better read on your
opponents? hands. Your ability to make an educated guess becomes crucial as you enter the later and higher-betting rounds. Back to Top

? The betting gets serious in the last three rounds of seven-card stud. Assess your hand and your opponents? hands; if you
feel like you?ve got the winning hand, bet aggressively in the last two or three rounds. If you?ve made it this tar but are unsure if your hand has what it takes to win, you have two options. You can fold, of course, or decide whether drawing another card is worth the money.

? Use scare cards to your advantage. These are exposed cards that improve your hand or set up a potentially stronger hand. For instance, if you receive a suited Queen on tourth street to go with your King, your opponents will now worry you have a straight or a flush. Likewise, keep an eye on your opponents? high cards- that's what the poker pros do!

? With three hole cards, two of which are dealt in the first round, bluffers are emboldened in seven-card stud. However,
don?t just bluff willy-nilly. It is necessary that your exposed cards have potential. For instance, if you have three-suited
cards (three cards of the same suit) exposed and are betting heavily, your opponents might think you have a flush. Also, it you are bluffing in seven-card stud, your betting should be consistent. Back to Top