Introduction to Five Card Stud Poker Rules
Five card stud rules are sometimes confused with five card draw rules. However the main difference is that in stud you are not given the opportunity to exchange any cards to improve your hand.
Five card stud is very similar to seven card stud in that you receive hidden cards and exposed cards. You will receive one hole card and 4 exposed cards. Because there is no way to improve your hand, winning hands tend to be weak. It is not unusual to see high card hands win the pot. In some variations of five card stud the final card is given face down rather than exposed.
Beginning a Hand of Five Card Stud
To begin a hand of five card stud, players are dealt 2 cards. The first card is dealt face down and the second card is exposed for everybody to see. The first betting round begins after the cards are dealt. The player with the highest exposed card begins the wagering and then it proceeds in a clockwise motion.
Third Street
Third street begins by the dealer tossing each player an exposed card. Once again, the highest hand on the board begins the betting and goes around in a clockwise motion. After this round of betting fourth street comes.
Fourth Street
Fourth street is just like third street. Players are dealt an exposed card and a round of betting occurs starting with the player who has the highest exposed hand.
Fifth Street
Fifth street is the final card and the final round of betting. Fifth street is typically dealt face up, however sometimes the rules call for fifth street to be dealt face down. By doing this, players have less information about their opponent’s cards. Interesting betting opportunities arise due to this. Bluffs and more creative and more interesting than four straight open cards.
Five Card Stud Variations
Another variation of five card stud is to have the first and second cards dealt face down and the rest exposed cards. This helps create some action at the table and keeps players from having too much information. This also prevents players from getting too much of a feel for the odds and knowing whether their hand is better or worse based on their opponents exposed card.
Where to Play Five Card Stud Poker Online
You can play Five Card Stud at any of the following online poker sites: