5 Card Stud Rules

Five Card Stud is one of the rarest forms of poker but it still has a loyal following. The game is simple to learn and the strategy quite interesting because you get to see most of your opponents’ cards by the end of each hand.

Five Card Stud Rules

The Antes

The ante is a small forced bet that each player must make at the beginning of each hand. In most games, the ante is about 10% of the small bet. In a $5/$10 5 Card Stud Game, the ante would be $0.50.

The Deal

Each player is dealt two cards, one face down and one face up. The face-down card should be kept hidden from the other players because this is the one card in your hand they won’t get to see. The hidden card is also called the “hole card.”

First Round of Betting

After each player has received two cards, the player with the lowest showing card starts the betting. This player has to pay the bring-in, which is a bet that player must place. The player has the choice of paying half of the minimum bet or the full minimum bet. For example, the player posting the bring-in in a $2/$4 Stud game would have the choice of betting $1 or $2.

After that, the action moves clockwise around the table and the players must either call the minimum bet, raise it or fold. If any player makes a raise, the rest of the players must match that amount or fold their hands.

Second Deal and Second Round of Betting

Each player is dealt one card face up. There is another round of betting and from here on out, the betting rounds begin with the player who has the best hand showing.

Third Deal and Third Round of Betting

One card is dealt face up to each player and there is another round of betting. If you are playing fixed limit 5 Card Stud, the high limit bets come into effect now.

Fourth Deal and Fourth Round of Betting

One last card is dealt face up to each player and there is one last round of betting identical to the last round of betting.

Showdown

The players still in the hand now reveal their hidden cards. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot.

Best Poker Site for 5 Card Stud

I hate to say it but Five Card Stud isn’t really played online. If you’re lucky you’ll find some small poker site offering it but there will rarely be players to play against. Your best bet for finding a Five Card Stud game would be to host a home game and invite your friends over to play.

Better Alternative

If you really want to find some good Stud action, you should give 7 Card Stud a try. That game is almost identical to 5 Card Stud but it is way more popular. All the major poker sites offer 7 Card Stud and it’s ten times easier finding good 7 Card Stud tables.