Card Streets and Betting Rounds

These are the names given for each round of cards dealt to a player in seven card stud. In the first round, two cards are dealt facing down, and one card facing up.  Succeeding rounds are dealt facing up except for the last card, which is dealt face-down. There are five betting rounds.

This is an example of how one game at a low stakes stud-hi table works.

This table: $1/$2 Stud-Hi Table , 25¢ Ante, 50¢ Bring-In

The bet examples at this table use the 'schedule' above, highlighted in gray.

A maximum of 8 seats are available in a seven card stud game. Seats are ordered from the dealer's left hand beginning with seat number one, continuing around the table where the last player would be at the dealer's right hand. (clockwise) All hands are always dealt around the table clockwise from the dealer's left, beginning with seat number 1. The order of checking, betting, raising and calling always moves clockwise from the first available playing position.

The dealer shuffles and cuts one deck of cards. One card is 'burned' from the top of the deck. (The top card on the deck at the end of the cut is not played).

All players will ante 25¢ into the pot to be dealt their first three cards, called the 'starting hand'. One card is dealt to each player clockwise around the table facing down, always beginning with seat 1. A second card is dealt to each player around the table facing down. Down-faced cards on the table can only be viewed by the person playing that hand. A third card is dealt to each player facing up.  This card is called the door card. The third card (and all up-facing cards dealt from here) must remain facing up for all players at the table to see.

The player with the lowest numbered door card  at the table must 'bring-in' a minimum bet of 50¢ or place their first bet at $1.  The bring-in bet determines who is in first position for the starting hand. Beginning from the player who is bringing in, the order of calling, raising, and folding hands moves clockwise of the bring-in player until all bets are placed and hands folded around the table. For this example the bring-in player will place a bring in bet of 50¢. Any player who wants to stay in the hand at this point will call 50¢ or raise the bring-in bet (complete the bet)  by a minimum of 50¢. Checking is not allowed at this point. Re-raising will not be discussed in this example although it is allowed. Any player who does not like their starting hand will 'fold' or concede their hand.

The dealer 'burns' one card from the top of the deck before dealing the next round of cards. (The top card on the deck is not played.)

Remaining players are dealt a fourth card, facing up.  The fourth card dealt to a player in a hand is called 'fourth street'. Bet minimums graduate on fourth street¹. The starting bet for fourth street at this table is $1.  The player with the highest-showing hand at the table has now taken over first position to place the $1 bet. The minimum call is $1. Checking is allowed around the table for the rest of the rounds beginning with the person in first position. The order of calling, raising and folding hands moves clockwise from the high-show player until all bets are placed and hands folded around the table.

The dealer burns one card from the top of the deck, and remaining players are dealt the fifth street card facing up. Bet minimums graduate on fifth street to $2. Anyone wanting to stay in their hand will place a minimum bet of $2. The minimum call is $2. The player with the highest-showing hand at the table has  first position and is given the first opportunity to place a $2 bet. For the rest of the rounds the minimum bet is $2. The minimum call is also $2. The highest showing hand will always take over first position, meaning that all checks, bets, calls, raises and folds will continue to move clockwise from first position.

The dealer burns one card from the top of the deck before dealing the next round of cards to the remaining players. The sixth street card is dealt facing up. The highest showing hand takes first position. Minimum bet and call is $2. Checks, bets, calls, raises and folds move clockwise from first position.

If there are any remaining players after the sixth street round, the dealer burns one card from the top of the deck and deals out the last card, called the 'river'. The river card is dealt to the remaining players faced down. Down-faced cards on the table can only be viewed by the person playing that hand. (Down-faced cards on the table can only be viewed by the person playing that hand.)

Checks, bets, calls, raises and folds are taken beginning with the person in first position. Minimum bet and call is $2.  After a bet is placed and any bets have been called, the players turn all of their down-faced cards up to show who has the best hand and the best hand wins the pot. If there are no calls to a bet on the table the person placing the bet wins the pot and does not have to show their hand.

The dealer pays out the winning player from the bets accumulated through all rounds. Cards are shuffled, cut, and the next starting hand is dealt after the players ante.

¹On fourth street if there is a pair on the board the player in betting position has the option to make a double-bet. This is the only time that a double bet is allowed. Some card rooms allow that once a double-bet is made anyone who wishes to raise, can  raise the double-bet, or double-raise.

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How bets work at other stakes tables:

This information is an example of how to read a stakes/table schedule.

This table: $2/$4 Stud-Hi Table , 25¢ Ante, $1Bring-In

All players ante 25¢ into the pot to be dealt their starting hand. Lowest door card must bring the minimum of $1. (A complete bet is $2) Minimum fourth street bet is $2. Minimum fifth street through seventh street bet is $4.

This table: $3/$6 Stud-Hi Table , 50¢ Ante, $1Bring-In

All players ante 50¢ into the pot to be dealt their starting hand. Lowest door card must bring the minimum of $1. (A complete bet is $3) Minimum fourth street bet is $3. Minimum fifth street through seventh street bet is $6.

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Community Cards

Rare instances occur when there are not enough cards to be dealt to each player at the end of a hand. In this event, one card is dealt, called a 'community card', where the single card is in play for each hand at the table.

For example, if all 8 players at a table were to call to up to sixth street,  there would not be enough cards to deal each player their last card. A single card from the remainder of the deck, or one of the burn cards, is used and placed at the center of the table. This single card becomes the last for each player's hand. Bets are placed around the table in normal fashion.

Depending on the rules of the house, the dealer may have the choice of using one of the burn cards, a card from the remainder of the deck that would not have sufficiently supplied 8 players with a last card, or a card would be pulled from a second deck. The house rules may be standardized so that the dealer does not have the choice of where to pull the community card from and must go strictly by what the house rule is.

Normally before the community card is dealt, either the burn cards or the remaining cards in the deck are first shuffled. The bottom card of the deck is never played.