Number of Players: 2 to 8.

Seven Card Stud is the most popular of the stud games, for both the high stakes nature of the game, and for the impact that careful planning can have on your odds.
Seven Card Stud has five rounds of betting, with the maximum bet doubling on either the second or third round of play.
Because so many of the cards are exposed on the table, you can make good choices regarding the probability of a winning hand being within you reach.

Terminology

Ante An amount, determined by the card room, that each player has to put in the pot before receiving cards.
The size of the ante varies with the game stakes. There is no ante in $0.50/$1.00 games.
Street A name for the various stages of betting, as you receive your cards.
Because the game begins with the player receiving three cards, betting begins on third street, and continues to seventh street.
Door Card Another name for "third street", that is, a player's first up card.
River Card Another name for "seventh street". The last card dealt.
Bring-in A small beginning bet required from the player with the lowest exposed card by suit.
Betting Structure (Example for $10/$20 game)

Ante	Bring-in	3rd Street	4th Street	5th Street	6th Street	7th Street
$1	$5	$10	!0/$20*	$20	$20	$20

*Higher bet option if pair showing

Starting a Game
To begin playing Seven Card Stud, you place an ante on the table. This is usually a fraction of a bet, set by the card room, and varies according to the stakes of the game.
There is no ante in $0.50/$1.00 games.
Players are then dealt three cards, two face down and one face up.
The player with the lowest card showing (ace is high) is then required to make the bring-in bet which is equal to half the lower-limit bet.
If two people have the lowest card it is determined alphabetically by suit: clubs (lowest), diamonds, hearts and spades.
A round of betting begins, with the options for the other players being: fold (quit the hand), call (put in an equal amount to what has been placed in the pot) or raise to a full bet. For example: In a $20/$40 game, the ante is usually $3 and the bring-in bet is $10. The full bet at the third street is $20.

Fourth Street
For this betting round, each active player is dealt another card face up, exposed to the table.
The player with the highest card values (counting all exposed cards, such as high cards, pairs, etc.) then begins the next betting round by checking or betting.
If two hands are of equal value the betting is started by the player to the dealer's left.
The lower level bet applies to Fourth Street but, if the highest hand showing is a pair, any player may bet either the lower or the higher betting limit ($20 or $40 in our example), and the other players must follow that amount in calling or raising.

Fifth and Sixth Street
The procedures are the same as those for fourth street, but the betting amounts are of a higher limit ($40 in the example above).
The first player is determined by the highest ranking exposed hand on the table.

Seventh Street
This is the last card, and is called seventh street, or the river.It is dealt face down, and the person who played first on sixth street plays first again.
A final round of betting ensues, ending in the showdown.
Players have four exposed cards and three hidden cards by this point.
They then create the best five-card hand from their total of seven cards.

Note
occasionally (but rarely), there will not be enough cards left in the deck to deal everyone an individual seventh card.In this event, the dealer will turn up one card on the table that is common to all remaining active players.

Tips
. A starting pair over 10 is usually worth betting on, unless an opponent appears to be betting aggressively and may have a higher pair.
. Fifth street is a make-or-break point. With the bet doubling, it can get expensive if you are still trying to "make" a hand at this point. Be sure that the cards you need are still "alive", that is, have not been exposed in other players' hands.
. It's best to fold if an opponent's exposed cards beat your entire hand.
. If you are trying to complete a hand such as a straight or a flush, check to see if other players have already exposed the cards you need, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

5 card stud
Starting a Game
To begin playing Five Card Stud, you must first place an ante on the table. The amount of the ante varies with the stakes of the game.
There is no ante in $0.50/$1.00 games.
Each player is then dealt two cards; one faced down and one faced up.
The player with the lowest face-up card by suit starts the betting with a bring-in bet that is half the lower full bet.
Subsequent players may then either fold, call, or raise the amount to a full bet.

Second round
another card is then dealt, face up, to all players at the table.
Another round of betting begins. The player who has the highest combination of cards showing acts first and may either bet or check.
If two players are showing equal cards, the one to the dealer's left acts first.
If a player is showing a pair, any player may bet at the higher limit in which case all subsequent calls and raises must be at the higher limit.

Third Round
Another card is then dealt, face up, to all players at the table.
Another round of betting begins with the player who has the highest combination of cards showing. Bets are at the higher limit.

Fourth Round
With all the cards dealt, one down and four up to each active player.
A final round of betting begins. When the betting is done, players show their hole cards and the highest five-card hand wins the pot.

Tips
. Watch your opponents' exposed cards. Not only can you see when you are on a losing hand and fold early, you can also see if any cards that you need are already taken by someone else.
. Trying to make straights and flushes in 5 Card Stud can be very expensive and risky - it rarely happens. Staying with low connectors or low suited cards is usually a losing play.