Five Card Stud Poker Rules | How to Play 5 Card Stud Poker

Here's a guide to five card stud poker rules that you can read to get a quick understanding of the game.

The original form of Stud poker is played with five cards. For a five-card stud poker game, you need 2-10 players and a deck of 52 cards.

The betting amount is fixed in 5-card stud poker. There is a small bet and a big bet. E.g. $10 and $20, respectively.

Learn how to play 5 card stud poker | Rules

Ante

Each player places a fixed amount of money in the pot to enter the hand. This is like blinds, but instead of two players, all the players put in the money. The ante is a very small amount. E.g. in the above example of $10 small and $20 big bets, ante can be $1.

Hole card

To start with, each player is dealt 1 card face down. This is called the hole card. The cards are dealt in the clockwise direction.

Then each player is dealt one open card each. This is again done in the clockwise direction.

First betting round

After this, the first round of betting ensues. At this point, each player has one close and one open card each.

The player to start any betting round is the one with the best hand that is visible to all. If two or more players have similar cards, then the suit value is considered for their highest cards. Clubs have the lowest value, then come diamonds, then come hearts, and spades have the highest value.

In some cases, all the players are required to place compulsory minimum bets in the first betting round. This bet is called the bring-in bet. Its amount is more than Ante but less than small bet. In the above example, the bring-in bet could be $5. The player starting the betting can place a small bet of $10 or at least a compulsory bring-in bet of $5. The next player has to at least match the small or bring-in bet or fold. Only after a small bet is placed, the players can raise.

In some cases, the first betting round begins with the lowest hand placing a bring-in bet. In this case, the betting begins with the lowest hand holder.

If there are no bring-in bets in a game, then in the first round only small bets are allowed and Ante is a little higher.

Big bets are not allowed in the first round.

Note: In any betting round, one bet (not counting bring-in) and a maximum of three raises are allowed.

Third Street - An open card

On completion of the first round of betting, the dealer deals each player with their third card. The dealer starts with a burn card (one card on the top of the deck is discarded), then deals from his left. The same dealing process is followed before all rounds.

The third dealt card is called the third street.

Second betting round

The second round of betting ensues once players have three cards each. Again, the player with the best upcards or visible hand begins betting. If two or more players have similar cards, then the player with the highest card of a higher suit starts the game.

The player to act first has the choice to check to bet.

In this round, players can only place big bets when any player has a pair or higher showing. If so, all players can place big bets or raise.

Usually, in casinos, the raise has to be the amount of the last bet or raise. Consequently, if a big bet is placed in a round, only big raises are permitted after that.

Fourth Street and Third betting round

Upon completion of the 2nd betting round, the fourth card (open) is dealt to each player by the dealer.

The third round of betting occurs after that. Usually, in the third and fourth betting rounds in casinos, only big bets can be placed by players.

Fifth Street and Fourth betting round

The dealer deals the fifth card of each player, going in the familiar clockwise direction.

Then the fourth and the last round of betting occurs.

Showdown

After this, the players left in the game open their hole cards, and the player with the winning hand takes the pot.

These rules apply to live casino and home games and even to 5 card stud poker online games. These five card stud poker rules apply to the variations of the game, too, with slight changes.