Best Online Poker

5 Card Stud Poker:

Although 7-Card Stud is the more popular stud game, 5-Card Stud attracts the players who are pure poker fans at heart, as it is the original stud game, considered to be a classic among Poker games, and recognized as one of the oldest styles of play.

The object of 5-Card Stud is to be the player with the best 5-Card hand after the final round of betting. Players are only dealt 5 cards - 1 hole card and 4 door cards - during the game, so unlike 7-Card Stud, there are no extra cards to play with, making the game a faster play, and just as much of a challenge.

5-Card stud follows basically the same rules as 7-Card Stud, with the few differences being fewer cards, and one less betting round.


Terminology and Facts

Dealer Button ("Button","Buck","Puck")

This is a device that is used in online poker rooms to mark the dealer among the players for each hand. The dealer button is a small disk that is marked with the letter "D". The dealer button is not only essential to the players so they know who is dealing, but also because the two players to the left of the dealer must post the two blinds in the game. After the completion of each hand, the dealer button moves to the left.

Ante

This is an amount that is determined by the card room that each player must put in the pot before they can receive any cards.

The ante varies depending on the stakes at a table. Furthermore, all antes that are paid are not recognized as part of any bets that occur during the hand.

Hole Cards

Also known as pocket cards, hole cards are those dealt to each player and are face down, so that only the player can see these cards.

Door Cards

All cards belonging to a player that are placed face up on the table are known as door cards.

Bring-in

This is a small starting bet that the player with lowest exposed card is required to put into the pot. (Note: in 7-Card Stud the suit of card matters. From highest to lowest the order of suits are Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs)

Betting Structure

The betting structure is the same for every table. The only aspect that will change is the amount of money involved, which will correspond to the stakes for the table you choose to play at. For the purpose of this chart we will use the $10/$20 table example:

Ante        Bring-In      1st Round     2nd Round     3rd Round     Final Round
  $1              $15            $10              $10/20             $20                    $20

(Note: The higher bet option occurs if a pair is showing)



5-Card Stud In Action

Ante and the Bring-In - Let the game begin

To begin the game an ante is first placed on the table by every player. Remember, usually the amount is only a fraction of a bet that is set by the card room. The dealer then deals 2 cards - 1 hole card and 1 door card - starting with the player on their left and continuing clockwise round the table. The player who has the lowest card showing on the table must place the bring-in bet, which is equal to half of the lower level bet.

Round 1 Betting

In this betting round each player, with the possible exception of the bring-in player who has already contributed the bring-in amount, may either choose to fold (quit the game), call (meet the bet) or raise, increasing the bring-in to a full bet. If players still left in the round choose to only call the bring-in amount, then the player who originally contributed the bring-in is the only player who has the option to check (stay in the game without calling or raising) their own amount.

The ante in a $10/$20 game as mentioned above would usually be $1, and the bring-in bet $5. The full bet during Round 1 is $10. (Note: During Round 1, players can not bet or raise more than the lower level limit).

Round 2 Betting

During this round, the game really starts to take shape as each player is dealt one more door card. Now with 2 cards showing, players have a better idea of not only the potential of their own hand, but also what winning advantages their other opponents have.

Strategies begin taking effect as the player with the highest card value begins the round of betting. The highest card value includes all cards exposed, and could consist of the highest card, pair and so on. If in the event two hands prove to be of equal value, the betting is then commenced by the player who is the closet to the dealer's left.

The player with the highest showing hand begins the betting round, and they may either check, fold or raise. If this player chooses to check or fold, the remaining players, following clockwise from that players left may check until a raise has been made.

In Round 2, the lower level bet applies automatically. However, should the highest exposed hand showing consist of a pair, any player in the game has the option of either betting the standard lower limit (in the case of the $10/$20 game that would be $10) or the higher betting limit ($20). If the higher betting limit falls into play, each player still in the hand must call to meet the max bet.

Round 3 Betting

The dealer deals a 3rd door card to each player, and the excitement continues its climb, as each players exposed hand reveals more details to their opponents at what potential their hidden card could have.

Players are now faced with another round of betting that follows in the same pattern as the previous round, with the exception that now the max betting limit becomes the rule.



Round 4 Betting

This is the final round where the last door card is dealt by the dealer, giving players a pretty good idea if luck has run out for them or their opponents, or if they have instead hit the jackpot.

This final betting round is commenced in the same way as the previous round, and all players remaining for a chance at the pot, must then ready themselves to face the music with their 5-card hand.

Showdown

The single hole card and 4 door cards of the remaining players are revealed as each player left in the hand show their cards, beginning with the last player to bet and continuing in that pattern. During the showdown players may also choose to “muck” (fold out of the game, without showing their cards) their hand. The winner naturally takes the pot.

If in the event, a player wins by default, which means that every other player in the hand folded, no showdown will occur, and the winner is given the option to show their cards (or in the case of 5-Stud, their single card) or not. For the most part, players choose not to show their winning hand, as it adds to the drama of the game, and keeps the other opponents guessing what the great hand was.