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Seven Card Stud Poker Tips

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Seven Card Stud shares many characteristics with texas hold'em. In each game, a player gets seven cards and must select the best five to make a high hand. The hand ranks are the same (a flush is still better than a straight, for example) and it is equally difficult to make a strong hand.
There are some very important differences in the two games, though. The most obvious and also most important is that there are no community cards in seven stud. This makes it important to remember cards that players fold, and it makes it easier to "catch up" when trailing.

The Ante

The game begins with each player placing an "ante" in the pot. The ante is a small sum that serves a purpose similar to the blinds in hold'em: it gives the players something to "fight over," or contest, once the hand begins. Without the ante, there would be very little reason to enter the hand without the best possible cards. Some casinos do offer stud games without an ante, and these games tend to be dominated by players who play extremely conservatively.

After the antes are in the pot, the dealer deals three cards to each player. The first two are dealt face down, and the third is face up, for everyone to see.