After drawing seven cards you will only play your best five cards at the end of the hand, with the two remaining cards not counting towards your final hand total. Highest hand wins using standard poker hands rules. Detailed rules provided.

7 Card Stud

In Brief

After drawing seven cards you will only play your best five cards at the end of the hand, with the two remaining cards not counting towards your final hand total. Highest hand wins using standard poker hands rules.

7 Card Stud, Detailed Rules

First each player antes up for the hand about to be dealt. The amount of the ante is determined by the table at which you play.

Two cards are dealt face down to each player in the game, followed by 1 card, which is dealt face up (totaling 3 cards in each hand). This first face up card is known as the 'door card' or 'Third Street'.

There is a round of betting. At some poker rooms, the player with the lowest valued 'door card' must bet first - called the 'bring in bet'.

After betting, another card is dealt, face up, to each player. This second face up card is known as 'Fourth Street'.

There is another round of betting.

Another card is dealt, face up, to each player. 'Fifth Street'.

There is another round of betting, with the betting minimums/maximums typically doubled during this round.

Another card is dealt, face up, to each player. 'Sixth Street''.

There is another round of betting at the higher values (raised after 'Fifth Street').

Another card is dealt, face down, to each player. This is known as the 'River Card' or 'Seventh Street'.

There is then the final round of betting.

Betting Note: Unlike Texas Hold'em or Omaha where betting starts to the left of the dealer, in any Stud game the player with the highest ranking hand showing amongst their face up cards bets first for that round, with the bet then moving clockwise around the table.

Once the betting is over, the hands are called and it's time to show 'em what you've got - the player with the highest 5 card hand wins the pot. While you'll be dealt 7 cards in total in any 7 card game; you will only play your best 5 cards at the end of the hand, with the two remaining cards not counting towards your final hand total.