Poker game guide
Seven-Card Stud
There is no shared board and very little information stays hidden. Seven-Card Stud rewards attention as every player builds a private seven-card hand across five betting rounds.
- Players
- 3–8
- Time
- 60–150 min
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Best scoring
- Final placement
How to play
A clear rhythm for every hand.
Agree the stakes and house rules before the first deal. Once play begins, these are the moments everyone needs to follow.
Ante and deal third street
Every player antes, then receives two cards face down and one card face up. The lowest exposed card makes the compulsory bring-in.
Complete the opening bet
Action continues clockwise from the bring-in. Players fold, call or raise using the lower fixed betting increment.
Deal fourth, fifth and sixth street
Deal one face-up card to each active player before every new betting round. The strongest exposed hand acts first on these streets.
Deal seventh street
Give every remaining player one final card face down, then complete the last betting round using the higher betting increment.
Show the best five cards
Each remaining player makes the strongest possible five-card poker hand from their seven cards. The best high hand wins the pot.
Before the first hand
Set the table once.
- Use one standard 52-card deck, chips and a clearly visible ante structure.
- Agree the small and big betting increments and the size of the bring-in.
- Keep a card beside the table showing which exposed hand acts first on each street.
- Cap the table at eight players so the deck can support a full seven-card deal.
Make it a season
Reward the players who read the whole table.
Use final placement for the season standings and record one optional pot-win tally per session. It adds a useful story without letting one unusually large hand decide the entire night.
Create your season- Formula
- Placement-based points
- Record
- Final place + pots won
- Good cadence
- One fixed-length session
- Season idea
- Best five results count