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One of the oldest forms of Poker,
Five card stud doesn’t enjoy the current mainstream popularity of Texas Hold’em
or Omaha, but is nevertheless an exciting game that has been a mainstay of
“Poker Nights” for many years. While 5-card stud is very similar in gameplay
to 7-card stud, it requires a different strategy. Here is a basic rundown of
how the game is played.
The game starts with each player at the table
placing an ante, and there are no blinds as there are in Hold’em. After the
antes have been placed, each player is dealt two hole cards face down and one
card face up. The betting action then begins with the player showing the
lowest up card, and action proceeds clockwise. The first player to act must
place a bet known as a “bring-in”, this is a forced bet, and the player has no
option to fold or check. The action proceeds around the table, and once all
bets have been settled, each player remaining in the hand is dealt a second
face-up card. Now the second round of betting begins, and it proceeds at the
lower limit. The second round of betting will always proceed at the lower
limit, unless any player at the table is showing a pair with their two “up”
cards, in which case any player may make a bet at the higher limit.
Once all bets have been settled in the second betting round, every
remaining player is dealt a third up card. At this point all betting will
proceed at the higher limit. Once this penultimate round of betting has
concluded, all players remaining are dealt a fourth and final up card. No more
cards are dealt, and at this point each player holds 4 up cards, and one hole
card. Now the final round of betting begins, again at the upper limit. Once
all bets have been settled in this final round of betting, the showdown
occurs, and all remaining players turn over their hole card and compare hands.
The top 5 card hand will be the winner, and that hand shall take the pot.
5-card stud plays differently than 7-card mainly because in 5-card you only
have one hole card, making it easier to predict opponents’ best possible hand.
Some say that 5-card stud is more a game of luck, however like any poker game,
the best players will inevitably win.
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