How to play 5-card stud

Although 7-card stud became the most popular form of stud, it may have never existed without the creation of 5-card stud. Originating as far back as the American civil war, the five card variant is is the oldest form of stud poker. Its popularity has since fallen and it isn’t commonly seen in the major tournaments of the WSOP (World Series of Poker), but it retains a following in some parts of the world and is usually a playing option on the bigger online poker sites.

Five card stud is very similar to seven card stud, but a few major differences (apart from the obvious five cards instead of seven) are the use of one face down card instead of three and fewer rounds of betting. If you’ve played one form of stud, you shouldn’t have any problems adapting to the other.

To start a game, all players are dealt one face down card followed by one face up card. Usually (but not always), the player with the lowest face-up card must pay a compulsory set amount into the pot, betting then continues in the clockwise direction. After this first round of betting, all remaining players are dealt a second face up card.

The second round of betting then proceeds with the player in possession of the strongest face up cards starting first. This is followed by a third face-up card and a third round of betting. As before, the owner of the best hand makes the first move. Finally, the fourth and last face-up card is dealt to all remaining players and the final round of betting follows in the usual manner. If this point is reached and players are still in the game, their singular face down cards are turned face up. The player with the best five card combination wins the pot.

If you’ve played 7-card stud, many strategies used in that form can be adapted to 5-card stud. Both distribute four face up cards to each player, so a strong opening becomes even stronger with only one face down instead of three. Straights and flushes are much harder to achieve in this form of the game. If you have the potential, raise a reasonable amount. However, if a player is holding a pair at this point, it’s better not to raise at all as it is likely to be called and they’ll have the more certain winning hand.

Observing your opponent’s face-up cards is vital to succeed in this form of poker. If you’re not paying attention to your opponent’s cards, your are likely to make mistakes and seriously limit your chances of making profit. Starting with a high card (i.e. ace, king, queen or jack) is good, but can be misleading. The best time to raise with this hand is if you’re holding the highest visible card. Even if you’re holding an ace, never meet a raise if another player holds an ace. The fact they hold one drastically reduces your chances of a pair. If your hand looks weak by the second face up card, be ready to fold on a raise, unless you have the potential for a flush or straight – and even then, only try your luck if the raise is reasonable.