Stud Poker Games

GR88 offers four different stud poker games in our online poker room. We deal 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo and Razz as well as 5 Card Stud. Stud poker games were the most popular poker games played during most of the 20th century, before Texas Hold'em was introduced to Las Vegas in the late 1960s.

Seven Card Stud

As its name suggests, players are dealt a total of seven cards, but only five are used to score the hand, as in most poker games. This is how the cards are dealt, with betting rounds in between each:

1. Two cards dealt face down to each player, one card dealt face up to each player
2. upcard to each player (Fourth Street)
3. upcard to each player (Fifth Street)
4. upcard to each player (Sixth Street)
5. downcard to each player (Seventh Street)
6. showdown

An easy way to remember the order is "2 up, 4 down, 1 up".

The lowest ranking up card after the initial deal starts the betting with what is called a 'bring in' bet. After the first round of betting, the player with best upcard hand showing makes the first bet.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo

This game is very similar to standard seven card stud, except the highest and lowest hands each earn half the pot. It is sometimes called Seven Stud Eight or Better.

To qualify for a low hand, a player must have a five card hand with five different ranking cards, all eight or lower. An Ace is considered the lowest ranking card, but also plays as a high card too. The best low hand a player canget is the wheel - A2345. If no players qualify for the low hand, the entire pot goes to the high hand.

Razz

Razz is the least popular of the stud variants, but many players find it fun because it is the exact opposite of normal seven card stud. The lowest hand wins.

Aces are the lowest hand, straights and flushes do no exist and the best possible hand is the wheel - A2345. You can play Razz with any limit structure, but the most popular is limit with antes and a bring in bet.

Five Card Stud

Five Card is probably the easiest stud poker variant. It is the game played in the famous poker movie 'The Cincinatti Kid' starring Steve McQueen. It is sometimes played as no limit or pot limit, but fixed limit games are more popular.

Play begins with each player being dealt one card face down followed by one card face up. The player with the lowest ranked up card starts the betting with a bring in bet. After the first betting round, another face up card is dealt, and betting begins with the player whose upcards make the best poker hand. Then a third upcard is dealt followed by betting, then a final downcard and the final round of betting.

Five Card stud featured at the first four World Series of Poker tournaments, but has not been played since and is rarely dealt in live casinos or tournaments. Luckily it is still available to play online here at GR88!

To get started playing stud poker games at GR88, click through to download our free online poker software for either Windows or Mac computers.