The four-card stud game variant was already famous in the early 1770s. It grew even more popular among the soldiers who fought during the period of the American Revolutionary war. Some years later, during the American Civil War (1861-1865), the five-card stud variant became the most captivating poker game that everyone wanted to play. Gradually, though, the popularity of five-card stud gave way to seven-card stud.

In this article, we shall take you through the intricacies of five-card stud poker – how to play it, the rules for the game, and we’ll look at some frequently asked questions concerning the game.

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What is 5 card Stud? 

Five-card stud poker variant is an old-school game that is one of the most iconic poker games out there. Its popularity soared in America throughout the Civil War. At the turn of the century, the popularity of five-card stud dwindled, and today seven-card stud, Texas hold ’em, and Omaha are more popular. 

The stud is an  “open” game – meaning that most of the players’ cards are exhibited on the table. In this game, every player’s first card is dealt facing downwards and can be uncovered only by the owner. Then, the succeeding four cards are dealt facing upwards with a betting round after each. This is done such that even though you get to keep the “hole,” the other players can still form a perception of how strong your hand is. Furthermore, this perception can aid you and your fellow players in placing wagers more accurately.

Many beginners confuse five-card stud and five-card draw. They might sound alike, but the principle of play is different. Five-card draw is one of the earliest and simplest poker variants. It is usually the first game beginners love to try their hands on. Today’s video poker variants use an offshoot of five-card draw. In the draw, players hold all their cards in their hands, concealed from the other players. So, draw poker has more “holes” than stud poker.

Terminology used in 5-card Stud Poker  

Before we look at how to play five-card stud, it would be helpful for you to understand some of the common terms used by pro stud players. 

• Holes – a card dealt face-down to a player
• Open game – the cards are not concealed from other players.
• Street – this refers to each group of cards given to players. Each street is closely accompanied by a betting round.
• Third Street – the third card is placed face-up on the table for each player.
• Fourth Street – the fourth card is placed face-up on the table for each player.
• Fifth Street – the fifth card is placed face-up on the table for each player.
• The hand – is a set of five playing cards used by each player.
• The pot –  is the collective sum to be taken by the winner.
• Bet – the money placed by each player into the pot.
• Call – to place a sum equivalent to that placed by another player in the pot. Or matching another’s player bets.
• Pot Odds – a mathematical calculation to determine the advantages of matching another player’s bet.
• Opening – the decision to make the first voluntary bet
• Check – a decision not to place money into the pot if no other players have done so. This is equal to a betting zero. If you check, you have declined to make a bet and do not wish to open it; however, you retain the right to call or raise later.
• Raise – other players add to the pot to increase the wagered sum.
• Bad Beat – losing the pot to another player’s better hand.
• Rags – the low-value cards that are least likely to earn you a win.
• Bluff – this refers to betting or raising aggressively to make your opponents fold when all you have are rags.
• Ante – this is a forced bet where all players must deposit an equal sum or chips into the pot before the deal commences.
• Bring-in – after the ante, each player receives two cards, one faced down and the other faced up. The player with the lowest up-ward facing card performs the bring-in.

How to Play 5-card Stud?

1. Cards and Player Limits

The game is usually played with a standard 52-card deck. Since each player is dealt a maximum of five cards, the game can be played by as many as ten players.  Play proceeds clockwise.

2. The Gameplay

• The ante

Each player drops an ante into the pot. The ante is different from the blinds found in Texas hold ’em, where two players deposit a fixed amount of money into the pot before the game commences. With the ante, every player puts money into the pot. It is usually a very small sum compared to the “small bet.”

•  Hole and door cards

Each player is given two cards, one card facing down (hole card), and another face-up. This first upward-facing card is one of three that will be dealt facing upward. It is called the door card. 

• The first betting round

At this point, there will be a “bring-in” followed by the first betting round. The player with the lowest upward-facing card performs the bring-in. The first betting round happens after the second group of cards has been dealt (called the second street). 

• The second betting round

Following the first betting round, another single upward-facing card is dealt to each player. This third group of cards is called the third street. After the third street has been dealt to each player, there is a second betting round. So, each player has three cards in hand at the moment. The player with the best hand begins the betting round. 

• The third betting round

The dealer gives all the players the fourth card (fourth street). This fourth card is the third upward-facing card. So, each player has four cards in their hand by this time. Again, betting begins with the player with the best betting hand.

• The fourth betting round.

The last card (fifth street) is again dealt to the players facing upward. After the fourth betting round, all players must show their hands. The best five-card hand wins the pot.

• Size of the bet

This is decided by the players – they must come to a consensus before the game begins. Most often, in casinos across the US, five-card stud is played as a fixed-limit game. A small and then big bet is determined. For instance, the upper and lower margins could be $10 and $100, respectively.

The sums wagered as ante bets are usually less than the small bet whenever there is a mandatory bring-in. The mandatory bring-in is usually less than the small bet but greater than the ante. Following the example above, the bring-in and ante could be $5 and $2, respectively.

Rules for 5-Card Stud Games 

The rules for five-card stud are quite straightforward. We already covered some of them in the previous section. Here are some more:

1. Players are dealt five cards in total.

2. There are no community cards involved in the game

3. Unlike in draw poker, players cannot discard any card dealt to them.

4. In place of blinds, all players of this game must put an ante into the pot. The antes must be put together before betting can begin.

5. A bring-in is performed by the player with the lowest-ranking door card. The bring-in is usually half of the small bet.

6. Four of the five cards in the stud are dealt facing upward, while the hole card must always be facing downward.

7. At the end of the game, all players must show their hands for the winner to be identified.

8. The player with the best five-card hand wins.

9. The winner of the game gets to go home with the pot.

 5-card Stud Poker FAQs

What is a hole?

Once the game commences, each player is dealt one card face-down. This is the hole card.  Cards dealt face-up are called open cards.

Where can I play five–card stud in the US?

Stud poker is a classic card game played online and in card rooms across the US. Depending on where you live and the regional gambling laws, you can easily access stud poker. Some trusted poker sites where you can engage in five-card stud include 888poker, PokerStars, Partypoker, and GGPoker.

How do you play five-card stud?

We have already prepared a detailed outline for this in the body of the article. You need a 52-card pack, and each player is assigned five cards. Four of the cards are dealt face-up, while one card is dealt facing downward. The antes, bring-ins, and streets all play their part in the process of the game.

Who plays first?

Because stud games do not include blinds, the first player is determined by the strength of their cards. In the first round, the player with the lowest cards plays first. In subsequent rounds, the player with the highest cards begins play.

How to play five-card stud high-low

High-low is a variant of five-card stud. The game can be played using low hand values. If this is the case, the best low hand begins play. The high-ranking hand pays the bring-in in this game. When the game is concluded, the pot is divided in two, and both the high and low-ranking players are rewarded. 

What are the five-card stud hands?

Hands refer to the five cards held in a game of poker. The hands in five-card poker are straight, straight flush, 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, full house, flush, two pairs, pair, and high card. 

Can there be exceptions to some of the five-card stud poker rules?

Certainly not! The game will lose its flavor if the rules are altered. 

How much can I bet during the game?

This is a limited game, so you cannot place bets beyond a predetermined sum. As a result, the wagered sums for the first two streets are usually smaller than those for the subsequent streets. 

What are some variants of five-card stud poker?

You can try your hand at several variants of the game: high-low, Asian five-card stud/Americana, Mexican stud, Canadian stud, Telesina, one down, two down, and three down.

Is there stud poker at the World Series of Poker?

Of course! There are several poker events all across the globe, most especially the World Series of Poker. There were six or so stud poker events during the 2021 World Series of Poker. So, prepare yourself and head to the global stage to display your skill!