The main difference between Stud Poker and Draw Poker are that in Stud there is no draw and most of the cards are dealt face up. In Five-Card Stud Poker, there are four betting intervals. Because most of the cards are dealt face up, each player knows much more about the other players’ hands than in Draw Poker, leaving more room for strategy.

Because there is no draw, it is possible to play up to 10 players. However should all ten players stay in to the showdown, only two cards will not be used in the play, and 40 will be exposed. This is of course very unlikely, but nevertheless the more cards exposed the longer players might take pondering the chance of improving their hands and the game will become clumsy. I personally think that Five-Card Stud Poker is best played with six to eight players, although it is a better game than Draw Poker if there are fewer players.

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THE ANTE

It is not usual to have an ante in Five-Card Stud Poker, but you may agree with the other players to have one if they wish.

THE STAKES AND LIMITS

A common way of limiting the stakes in Five-Draw Stud Poker is to set one chip as the low limit, and set different upper limits, normally two chips for bets and raises during the first three betting intervals and e.g. five chips for the fourth interval.

THE GAME PLAY

After the shuffle and cut, the dealer deals one card face down to each player (hole- card), then one card face up. Each player examines his hole-card but does not reveal it. It is not shown until the showdown.

The player with the highest card facing up must bet the limits agreed. If two or more face-up cards are of the same rank, the holder of the one nearest the dealer’s left is the player who must open the betting. Thereafter, each player in turns must fold, call or raise. The betting continues round the table until all the bets of the players who haven’t folded are equalized.

The dealer then deals a second face-up card to each player who remains in the game.

After that there is then a second betting interval. The first player to speak is the one with the highest poker combination in his face-up cards. Straight and flushes do not count for this purpose; hence the highest possible combination is a pair. If more than one player holds a pair, the one with the highest pair comes first. If there are no pairs, the person with the highest card begins. Again if two or more players hold equal combinations, the player nearest the dealer’s left starts.

On the second and subsequent betting intervals, the player who speaks first may check rather than bet. Until a player has bet, subsequent players have the option to check, too. But as soon as a player bets, then subsequent players must either call or raise. When all bets are equal the betting interval ends. If during any betting interval after the first all the players check, the deal continues.

After the second betting interval, players are dealt a third face-up card.

The third betting interval begins with the player holding the highest combination

After that, players are dealt their last face-up card.

Finally there is a fourth and last betting interval.

THE SHOWDOWN

If all the players except one fold at any of the betting intervals, then the remaining player wins the pot. Otherwise the two or more players left in after the bets are equalized in the fourth betting interval reveal their hole-cards and the one with the best poker hand wins the pot.

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