Stud Poker: History, Varieties, Rules
Back in the day, when no one had ever heard of Hold’em, the minds of many players were occupied with much more dynamic varieties of poker. As with all other forms of our favorite game of that era, there is not and has not been a common board here. All cards were dealt directly into the hands of the players, with 4 of them in the open. As you might have guessed by now, today’s talk will be about the Herd, its varieties and rules.
History
There are many versions of where and how Stade came to be, but they all lead back to the western United States when the Civil War was raging in those places. First came the 5-card variety of this game.
Early references date back to the mid-19th century, when Confederate soldiers tried to diversify their leisure time between battles. Over time, 2 more maps were added to the five, which undoubtedly increased the spectacle and dynamics of the game. Herd’s main rival in those days was the 5-card Draw.
After the adoption of the law on prohibition of gambling in 1910, Stad simply disappeared from the lives of Americans, but its competitor received serious support from the authorities and remained in circulation. In 1931, the Nevada state government passed a law to generally legalize casinos nationwide and the Herd once again came out on top.
Up until the 1980s. г. this type of poker held the top of the imaginary Olympus until Doyle Brunson and his comrades brought their No-Limit Hold’em from Texas. However, the history of Stud did not end there, as it remains one of the most popular poker games to this day.
Varieties
There are three main types of Stud poker: 5-card Stud, regular seven-card Stud and seven-card High-Low Stud. Let’s familiarize ourselves with each of them in more detail:
- Five-card Stud. According to some sources, it was this game that became the progenitor of all types of poker that exist today. Casinos and online rooms have long since stopped holding 5-card Stud tournaments. However, this fact does not forbid true connoisseurs to gather in companies and have fun playing this card game.
- Seven-card Stud. For more than a century, this type of poker has attracted players around the world with its dynamism and aggressiveness. Due to the fact that it has the largest number of trading circles, it was decided to include only two variations in the rules: Limit and Pot-Limit, but even in them it is possible to accelerate the size of the bank to very large sizes.
7-card Stud was long the most popular poker variant in casinos around the world until it was displaced from the top spot by the growing popularity of Texas Hold’em, driven in part by the World Series of Poker tournament series and its popularization through online poker in the early 2000s
- Seven-card Stud Hi-Low. This variation provides for two possible winners in a handout. Both the strongest (high) and weakest combination (low) wins. The low can include only unpaired cards not older than 8, with the ace being the youngest of its components. Streets and flushes don’t have any power here. In cases where there is no low combo, the player with the strongest hand gets the entire pot.
How a Stud Hand Unfolds
1. Posting the Ante
Every player must put in the mandatory ante before any cards move. This creates the initial pot and gets the action going.
2. Dealing Third Street
Once antes are placed, the dealer position is set (often by drawing cards), then each player receives two hole cards and one up-card.
- The player showing the lowest up-card must “bring in,” making the first forced bet—usually twice the ante.
- If two or more tie for lowest, suit order breaks the tie: Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs.
- After everyone has called or raised the bring-in, this betting round ends.
3. Fourth Street and Beyond
On Fourth Street, each active player gets another open card. Now the player with the highest visible hand starts the betting round. Fifth and Sixth Street follow the same pattern: one open card and a betting round, led by the current best showing.
4. River (Seventh Street)
Players receive a final hole card. One last betting round begins with the strongest up-card. After bets are equalized, any remaining players compare hands.
5. Showdown and Victory
After the final bets are matched, remaining players reveal their cards. The best five-card poker hand wins the pot—or in Pot-Limit Stud you can win early if everyone else folds.
6. Core Strategy
Bet when you hold a strong combination and fold weaker holdings. Bluff sparingly—since each player’s up-cards are visible, someone often has a playable draw or pair that justifies calling you down.
Bankroll Considerations
Stud poker’s extra betting rounds mean bigger swings than many variants, so it pays to manage your bankroll before you sit down. Decide on a maximum you’re comfortable losing in a single session and stick to it no matter how tempting the action gets.
Whenever you can, look for tables with fewer players—cutting from eight to six spots not only speeds things up but also tames variance.
And finally, choose your stakes based on what you see: if others at your current level are chasing every unlikely draw, that’s your cue to drop down to games where your edge can shine.
Is Stud Poker Right for You?
We’ve covered Stud poker’s roots, its main forms and the step-by-step of each betting round—now you can use this quick pros and cons list to decide if it earns a spot in your next session.
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Pros
- You see most of your opponents’ cards face-up, so you decide with real information in front of you.
- Multiple betting rounds let you build the pot when you’re ahead and keep others honest.
- Stud still appears in home games and mixed-game events, giving you a break from Hold’em tables.
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Cons
- Extra streets mean bigger swings if you don’t stick to your loss limit.
- Tracking every open card can get tiring—miss a detail and you might misjudge the odds.
- Stud tables are less common online, so finding soft games isn’t always easy.
