Basic Seven Card Stud

The dealer begins by dealing two cards face down to each player, and one card dealt face up to each player. The player with the highest card showing opens the first betting round. Following this betting round, another card is dealt face-up to each player, followed by a betting round, followed by a third card face-up, followed by a betting round, followed by a fourth card face-up, followed by a betting round, followed by the last card dealt face-down, concluded by the final betting round.

The player that opens each betting round is the player that has the best hand showing out of the cards face-up. If, for example, every player is dealt face-up mismatched cards, except for one player who has a pair showing, then that player opens the betting round.

In the end, each player takes the five cards out of seven that make up the best hand. For example, if a player is dealt the following hand:

K, Q, 2, K, 4, 2, K

the best combination of five cards in this player’s hand are the 3 Kings and the pair of 2’s. This player has a Full House, Kings over 2’s.

Variations

Kankakee:
Played as regular Seven Card Stud, except that the first card dealt face up to each player (after each player already has two cards dealt face down), and all matching cards, are wild in that player’s hand.