How to play 5-Card Stud, and Roll Your Own

In Five-card Stud, each player receives in total five cards over the course of four betting rounds, out of which they must form their best five-card poker hand (see Poker Hand Rankings). This game (with its more imaginative variants) is more likely to be found in homegames than casinos, where it’s Seven-card Stud which has been the most recognisable casino poker game, until the rise of Hold’em. With only one hole card per player, there’s a lot of information out on the board, and this kind of game at its basis relies on starting hand selection, knowing the maths of drawing hands and keeping a keen eye on how your opponents play, and what cards have been folded.

The betting (this is predominately a fixed-limit game) starts with the ante, a small compulsory bet which must be made by all players before the cards are deal, which builds a little pot to fight over. The amount of the ante varies from place to place, and of course with the size of the game, but for example in a $1/$2 game the ante might be $0.10 or $0.25.

Once the antes are in, each player is dealt one card face down, and one face-up (the ‘door card’).

First betting round: The player with the lowest face up card must initiate the betting with a ‘bring in’ bet. If two players show the same lowest card, the bring in is decided by suit (clubs being the lowest, followed by diamonds, hearts, then spades). They may bet the full small bet (in a $1/$2 game, this would be $1) or a half bet ($0.50) to ‘bring in.’ Action then proceeds in a clockwise direction from the first bettor. Players may fold, call the bet or raise it. In a limit game there is a maximum of four bets (a bet and three raises) in every betting round (or ‘street’).

Second betting round: After all players have acted (called or folded) a second face-up card is dealt to those remaining. From this point in the hand onwards, action begins with the player who shows the highest face up cards. This player may check or bet at the lower limit ($1 in this case).

Third betting round: After all players have acted, a third face-up card is dealt to those remaining. There is another round of betting, this time at the higher limit ($2 in this case).

Fourth betting round: After all players have acted, a fourth and final face-up card is dealt to the remaining players. There is then a final betting round at the higher limit and if it reaches showdown, the players’ full hands are revealed and the pot awarded to the winner.

That’s it – one of the simpler poker games to learn, and one of the first often picked up by beginners. There aren’t many places where you can play this game with a selection of random other people, but a couple of online sites did offer it, such as Paradise Poker. It’s a very quick game, as optimally there should be relatively few hands played. Pairs, overcards to the board, and high cards are to be looked for, but getting overly attached to things like a lone hole card Ace is not a good idea. The best way to get a feel for this game is to play it for a while, and play conservatively. While this is true of all poker, it is especially so in this case where so much information is available to all players and the correct way to go about selecting and playing hands, and bluffing occasionally should become evident through seeing situations come up on repeat.

5-card Stud Roll Your Own

An interesting twist to this game involves the same betting structure, but a difference after the first round. Each player antes as usual and is dealt one hole card and the door card. Following the first round of betting, however, each subsequent card dealt to the remaining players is dealt face down, and each player chooses which of their (now two) face-down cards to reveal. The showing of a new face-up card is usually done simultaneously, as if players show in turn there is an obvious advantage to going last.

This gives everyone a decision on each street– reveal strength, or keep a pair secret? Show a high card, or take a stab at bluffing a flush? This is where knowing your opponents is a great advantage – with so little hidden there are some fun opportunities for psychological tricks and for exposing them.