Start:
In Seven Card Stud, 52 cards are played. Each player gets a total of 3 closed cards and 4 open cards. The open cards are not community cards. 5 rounds are played and before the game can start the players must pay the Ante.
All players now get 2 closed cards and 1 face up.
1st round
The player with the lowest open card starts by placing an amount, called bring-in. The amount is at least ½ times the minimum bet, in , Limit games the bet must be equal to the minimum bet. After this, all players must place their bets. All players must pay the same amount to the pot.
All players get another face up card. This is called The 4th Street.
2nd round
The player with the highest open card starts, and if playing with limit, the bet must be equal to the minimum bet. If you have a pair represented in the open cards, you can also choose the maximum bet. There are the following options Bet, Check, Call, Raise or Fold. All players must pay the same amount to the pot.
All players for another open card, so they now have 2 closed and 3 open cards. This is called The 5th street.
3rd round
Whoever has the highest open card starts. In limit games, the bet must be equal to the maximum bet. There are the following options: Bet, Check, Call, Raise and Fold. Everyone still in the game must pay the same amount into the pot.
Now another card is turned over, thus all players have 2 closed cards and four open cards. This is called The 6th street.
4th round
Whoever has the highest open hand starts. In limit games, the bet must be equal to the maximum bet. There are the following options: Bet, Check, Call, Raise and Fold. Everyone still in the game must pay the same amount into the pot.
Before the last round, all players get 1 closed card. This is called The River. Now all players have 3 closed and 4 open cards.
5th round
Whoever has the highest open hand starts. In limit games, the bet must be equal to the maximum bet. There are the following options: Bet, Check, Call, Raise and Fold. Everyone still in the game must pay the same amount into the pot.
The end of Seven Card Stud is called the Showdown. Here, all remaining players must show all closed cards. The player with the best poker hand wins the pot. If there is a tie, the pool is split
Seven Card Stud hi/lo
Seven Card Stud also comes in a hi/lo variation. Here the pot is divided between 2 players, the one with the best hand for “high” cards, or rather: Best poker hand, and best hand for “low” cards. To win best low hand, you must have a hand where the highest card is a maximum of eight and the hand must not contain a pair. Whether the best low hand contains a flush or a straight is secondary.
As an example, this hand: A-1-2-3-7 beats this hand: A-1-2-3-8, since 7 is the highest card in the former hand.
Here follows another example: The combination 2-3-4-5-6 beats A-1-2-3-7 since 6 is the lowest card of the first-mentioned combination, the fact that the hand is a straight does not matter.