How many cards do you get in Seven-Card Stud?

Each player receives seven cards over the hand — three face-down and four face-up — and makes the best possible five-card hand from them. There are no community cards.

What is the bring-in?

The bring-in is a small forced bet posted by the player showing the lowest up-card on third street. It seeds the action in place of blinds, which Stud doesn't use.

Is Seven-Card Stud harder than Texas Hold'em?

It's more memory-intensive — there are no community cards, so you must track the up-cards that other players showed and folded to know which of your outs are still live. The hand rankings are identical to Hold'em.

How is Seven-Card Stud different from Texas Hold'em?

No community cards and no blinds. You get your own seven cards, pay an ante plus a bring-in, and play five betting rounds (third through seventh street). Starting-hand decisions are based on your first three cards.

Seven-Card Stud — Rules & How to Play

What Is Seven-Card Stud?

Seven-Card Stud is a classic stud poker game where each player gets seven cards — three face-down and four face-up — dealt over five betting streets (Third through Seventh), with no community cards and no blinds; an ante plus a forced bring-in seed the pot, and the best five-card hand wins at showdown.

From Third to Seventh Street: blue = face-down (your hole cards), white = face-up (visible to all). The bring-in fires on 3rd; bets double from 5th.

How to Play, Street by Street

Two to eight players each post an ante. Cards are dealt over five betting rounds called “streets.” You make your best five-card hand from the seven you receive.

Street	Cards Dealt	Notes
Third Street	2 down + 1 up	Lowest up-card pays the forced "bring-in"; betting begins.
Fourth Street	1 up	Highest hand showing acts first from here on.
Fifth Street	1 up	Bets typically double to the big-bet size.
Sixth Street	1 up	Another up-card and betting round.
Seventh Street	1 down ("the river")	Final card dealt face-down, last betting round, then showdown.

Beginner Strategy

Stud is a game of live cards and starting hands. Your first three cards decide whether to continue: premium starts are three of a kind (“rolled-up”), a big pair, or three cards to a flush or straight. Before you commit, scan the other players’ up-cards — if the cards you need are already showing (and folded), your draw is “dead” and you should fold.

The hand rankings are exactly the same as Hold’em, so the hand rankings guide and cheat sheet apply directly. New to poker entirely? See the full rules, explore other types of poker, or play free Texas Hold’em to drill hand strength.

FAQ

How many cards do you get in Seven-Card Stud?: Each player receives seven cards over the hand — three face-down and four face-up — and makes the best possible five-card hand from them. There are no community cards.
What is the bring-in?: The bring-in is a small forced bet posted by the player showing the lowest up-card on third street. It seeds the action in place of blinds, which Stud doesn't use.
Is Seven-Card Stud harder than Texas Hold'em?: It's more memory-intensive — there are no community cards, so you must track the up-cards that other players showed and folded to know which of your outs are still live. The hand rankings are identical to Hold'em.
How is Seven-Card Stud different from Texas Hold'em?: No community cards and no blinds. You get your own seven cards, pay an ante plus a bring-in, and play five betting rounds (third through seventh street). Starting-hand decisions are based on your first three cards.

Sources & Methodology

Rules follow standard poker references for Seven-Card Stud, cross-checked against the showdown logic of the free games on this site. We update this guide whenever authoritative rule sources are revised.

Sources

Wikipedia — Seven-card stud
Wikipedia — List of poker hands
Robert's Rules of Poker — Stud section

Written and maintained by Yoda Games Studio — an independent game studio with years of experience building free-to-play games including Pachinko Rush and Crash or Cash. We review and update our poker guides regularly for accuracy.