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Stud Poker Basics
Stud Poker Basics
5-Card Stud is one of those games that confuses people. Whenever you mention it people say is it similar to 7-Card Stud?
Betting Limits, Buy-In, Bankroll, The Ante, and the Deal are all pretty much the same as 7-Stud and I refer you there for these details. Keep in mind that because 5 Stud is seldom played in the casinos these rules often vary. The truth is that 5 Stud is mostly played as a social game these days, so the rules differ according to the game sessions tastes.
The OpenA round opens with the dealer giving each player two cards. Traditionally the first is a pocket (hidden) card and the second is open (face up). There are variations on this and we'll see why shortly.
Now it's time for the first bets. Low card opening is standard but it's not uncommon for high card to open. The game progresses the same either way. The betting round circles the table and it's on to Third Street.
Third StreetThe third card is dealt to each player as an open card. Betting typically follows 7-Card Stud's Third Street play (Low Limit bets).
Fourth StreetAnother open card, typically played per 7 Stud's Fifth and Sixth Street (High Limit bets).
Fifth StreetThe final card, usually also an open card. Betting as per 7 Stud's Seventh Street (High Limit bets).
I've also seen games where Fifth Street was dealt as a pocket card.
The Trouble with 5 Card StudThere's a real problem with traditional 5 Card Stud. With only one pocket card there's not much doubt as to what a player is holding. Furthermore, since there are only 5 cards per player and no discards, most hands are going to be pretty low, mostly pairs and high cards. At least in Draw Poker the player gets a chance to improve their hand by drawing new cards. Not so in 5 Stud: you're stuck with what you get and the other players can see most of that.
The end result? Players with even basic play experience will read the cards fast and early. They'll either drop or be going for the pot and it's tough to drag anyone but a novice along for the latter streets. Bottom line is it's a slow game for anything but social events and "friendly" play.
This is where the variations come in. The more interesting 5 Stud games I've played are those where there are two pocket cards. Sometimes it's first and last card, sometimes the two opening cards with the player on the dealer's left opening the bets.
In the end these variations are simply attempts to add a little suspense. The hands are still going to be low. And the extra pocket card just allows for a little more bluffing and the possibility of chubbier pots. The fact that even these variations only appear in social games tells the same story as before: 5 Card Stud has left the building.
Now you know the hands you can play in the card game you need to know the basic rules of play for 5 Card Stud Poker. The aim is to get the best possible hand with the 5 cards in your hand. Check below for the HAND RANKINGS.
Hand Rankings
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1 - Royal Flush The highest poker hand. It consists of AKQJT all in the same suit. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal. |
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2 - Straight flush Five cards of the same suit in sequence, such as 76543 of hearts. The ace can play low to make 5432A, the lowest straight flush. |
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3 - Four of a kind Four cards of the same rank accompanied by a "kicker", like 44442. Ranked by the quads, so that 44442 beats 3333K. |
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4 - Full house Three cards of one rank accompanied by two of another, such as 777JJ. Ranked by the trips, so that 44422 beats 333AA. |
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5 - Flush Five cards of the same suit, such as AJ942 of hearts. Ranked by the top card, and then by the next card, so that AJ942 beats AJ876. |
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6 - Straight Five cards in sequence, such as 76543. The ace plays either high or low, making AKQJT and 5432A. |
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7 - Three of a kind Three cards of the same rank and two kickers of different ranks, such as KKK84. Ranked by the trips, so that KKK84 beats QQQAK, but QQQAK beats QQQA7. |
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8 - Two pair Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and a kicker of a third rank, such as KK449. Ranked by the top pair, then the bottom pair and finally the kicker, so that KK449 beats any of QQJJA, KK22Q, and KK445. |
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9 - One pair Two cards of one rank accompanied by three kickers of different ranks, such as AAK53. Ranked by the pair, followed by each kicker in turn, so that AAK53 beats AAK52. |
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10 - High card Any hand that does not qualify as one of the better hands above, such as KJ542 of mixed suits. Ranked by the top card, then the second card and so on, as for flushes. |
Suits are not used to break ties, nor are cards beyond the fifth; only the best five cards in each hand are used in the comparison. In the case of a tie, the pot is split equally among the winning hands. |
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