Seven-card stud is one of the most popular poker games. It was made popular worldwide by American soldiers during the world wars. The game can be played with two to eight players.
In this group, one would have to be the dealer. When playing online, there is no need for one of the players to be the dealer. The computer or online site you play at deals the cards.
Players new to the game will find that 7-card stud follows the same basic principles as any other poker game. There are hole cards and the customary exposed card.
The marked difference between 7-card stud and other poker games is that there are no community cards. Each player has to make an ante bet. This easy-to-follow guide will go into the finer details of how to play the game.
In addition to outlining the steps to play seven-card stud poker, we have listed the top US casino sites with popular poker games, including seven-card stud.
Affiliate Disclosure: By accessing and depositing through our provided links, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn More
Play Real Money Seven Card Stud Online
Editorial Statement: Every operator featured on Casino US goes through our own independent review process. We test the platforms, dig into the terms, and form our own conclusions before anything gets published. Some links on this site are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission when a reader signs up through them — but that relationship has zero bearing on how we score or talk about a casino. If a site falls short somewhere, we say so, commercial partnership or not. Our evaluation criteria are laid out publicly, and every review — good, bad, or mixed — reflects what our team found, not what a partner wants us to say.
Affiliate Disclosure: Casino US is written and maintained by a team with real experience in the US online gambling space, and every page follows our internal editorial standards for accuracy and fairness. By browsing this site, you're agreeing to our Terms and Conditions. Some of the links you'll find here are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you sign up with an operator through them — this never changes which sites we recommend or how we rate them. You can read more in our full Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure. Keep in mind that online casino gambling is regulated on a state-by-state basis, so double-check that it's legal in your location before playing. You must be 21 or older to gamble. If gambling stops feeling like fun and starts feeling like a problem, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available anytime at 1-800-522-4700.
How to Play Seven Card Stud
7 Card stud poker is quite a unique variant of poker because there are no community cards. Players have hole cards, but there are no shared community cards. There are exposed cards, but these belong to individual players and cannot be used by another player to form a hand.
Cards are dealt intermittently, and between each round of dealing, there is a round of betting. In the end, each player who makes it to the end of the game will have seven cards.
However, they will only use five of those cards to form the winning hand. The game begins with a preliminary ante bet before the cards are even dealt. After the ante, there are seven steps to a full game of 7-card stud poker. If you want to learn how to play poker in the 7-card stud style, follow the easy steps below.
7 Steps to Playing Seven Card Stud
- After the ante, each player is dealt three cards first: two hole cards that are face down and one that is exposed, known as the door card.
- The second round of betting is initiated by the player with the lowest-value exposed card*. The betting moves clockwise from the player’s left.
- A fourth exposed card is dealt to each player, and the one with the highest value card initiates this round of betting. Betting moves clockwise from this player’s left.
- A fifth exposed card is dealt, and again, the player with the highest-value card initiates the betting round, which moves clockwise from the player’s left.
- The sixth card is dealt, and again the highest card initiates the round of betting.
- The seventh and final card is dealt with, and the highest value cardholder initiates the final round of betting.
- Finally, each player who is still in the game reveals the hidden hole cards. The player with the best five-card poker hand wins the game.
Rules for Betting
- Ante – The initial bet made before the cards are dealt.
- Bring in – The opening bet after the cards are dealt. This is the bet made by the player with the lowest value card after the third value card.
- Betting is only initiated by the lowest-value card holder in the first round after cards are dealt. Thereafter, the player with the highest card always starts the betting round after each card is dealt.
- Players can raise, check, or fold after each round of cards is dealt. Since the majority of the cards are exposed, it is easy to see how well or poorly you are doing against the other players.