5
Card Stud Poker is one of those games that puzzles
people. Whenever you mention it people say something
like "you mean 7-Card
Stud?" or "how's that different than
Draw Poker?" But
5-Card Stud poker is a game unto itself although you'll
seldom see it played these days. There are a few good
reasons for that, but let's cover the basics first.
Betting Limits, Buy-In, Bankroll, The Ante, and the
Deal are all pretty much the same as 7-Stud and I
refer you there for these details. Keep in mind that
because 5-Card Stud Poker is seldom played in the
casinos these rules often vary. The truth is that
5 Stud is mostly played as a social game these days,
so the rules flex according to the player's tastes.
The Open
A round opens with the dealer giving each player two
cards. Traditionally the first is a pocket (hidden)
card and the second is open (face up). There are variations
on this and we'll see why shortly.
Now it's time for the first bets. Low card opening
is standard but it's not uncommon for high card to
open. The game progresses the same either way. The
betting round circles the table and it's on to Third
Street.
Third Street
The third card is dealt to each player as an open
card. Betting typically follows 7-Card Stud's Third
Street play (Low Limit bets).
Fourth Street
Another open card, typically played per 7 Stud's Fifth
and Sixth Street (High Limit bets).
Fifth Street
The final card, usually also an open card. Betting
as per 7 Stud's Seventh Street (High Limit bets).
I've also seen games where Fifth Street was dealt
as a pocket card.
The Trouble with 5 Card Stud
There's a real problem with traditional 5
Card Stud Poker. With only one pocket card there's
not much doubt as to what a player is holding. Furthermore,
since there are only 5 cards per player and no discards,
most hands are going to be pretty low, mostly pairs
and high cards. At least in Draw Poker the player
gets a chance to improve their hand by drawing new
cards. Not so in 5 Stud: you're stuck with what you
get and the other players can see most of that.
The end result? Players with even basic play experience
will read the cards fast and early. They'll either
drop or be going for the pot and it's tough to drag
anyone but a novice along for the latter streets.
Bottom line is it's a slow game for anything but social
events and "friendly" play.
This is where the variations come in. The more interesting
5 Stud games I've played are those where there are
two pocket cards. Sometimes it's first and last card,
sometimes the two opening cards with the player on
the dealer's left opening the bets.
In the end these variations are simply attempts to
add a little suspense. The hands are still going to
be low. And the extra pocket card just allows for
a little more bluffing and the possibility of chubbier
pots. The fact that even these variations only appear
in social games tells the same story as before: 5
Card Stud has left the building.
Poker Rooms to play 5 Card Stud:
