Skip to content | 0 days left until our Members Area opens...
Welcome to Pokerppl.com. We bring you exclusive online poker deals, poker rules, a free poker guide, and much, much more. To post YOUR opinions AND qualify for exclusive members-only tournaments and competitions, sign up on Friday 30th May.
Home > Poker Rules > Five Card Stud
Five Card Stud Poker Rules: Overview
Five Card Stud is a popular variation of poker in home games but is not given much exposure online. One poker room featured on this website to list five Card Stud as an option amongst their games is Bodog Poker.
Introduction: Those of you familiar with Seven Card Stud will find the five card variation a cinch to grasp. The only differences being that instead of two face down 'hole' cards, only one is dealt, and the fifth and final card is also dealt face up (unlike in Seven Card Stud where the seventh card is dealt face down). Following the initial deal of the hole card and the door card, players are then dealt one face up 'door' card. The dealer then deals to each player 1 more face up card followed by the second betting round. One more face up card is dealt followed by a betting round. Once all bets are in for the fourth betting round, the showdown takes place and the player with the highest 5-card hand takes the pot.
The Ante: In Five Card Stud, there is no 'blind.' What we have instead is an ante, a small bet which each player must contribute at the beginning of each hand. Antes serve to build the pot and to increase each player's interest in the hand.
The Stakesdictate the bet and fixed limit raise amount: for example, in a $5/$10 Fixed game, both the bets and raises for the first two rounds of betting must be $5, no more, no less. The last two rounds have a bet/raise amount of $10. In a Pot Limit game, the maximum bet/raise can't be more than the current pot amount. So, if the pot is $30, you can't bet more than $30.
The Cap: In Five Card Stud, each round of betting can consist of one bet and has a maximum of three of allowable raises. So, if a bet is made, that bet can only be raised three times, after which all players must either call or fold. However, if only two players remain in the hand the cap is increased, to a maximum of five raises.
The Order of Play: First off, all players must post the ante. The dealer then deals each player one face down card (the pocket card), then a face-up card (the door). After this comes the first betting round, beginning with the bring-in. The bring-in is a mandatory bet which must be made by the player with the lowest showing door card. The amount of the bring-in is usually half the smaller stake amount, but the player making the bring-in has the option to increase this bet to the full small stake. If two players are showing the same door card, the suit rankings are used to decide which player should make the bring-in. The ranks of the suits are, in order: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs. Subsequent to the bring-in, all players must call, raise or fold to the bring-in bet. Betting begins to the bring-in player's left, and continues clockwise. If the bring-in opens with half the low stake, the first raise will 'complete' the bring-in, raising it to the lower stake limit. Any raises after that must be the lower stake amount. For example, at a $5/$10 table, if a player brings-in with $2, and you want to raise him, you must raise $3, completing the bring-in. Now, any player that raises after you must raise $5.
Third Street: After the Bring-In bets have all been called, each player is dealt another face up card, called 'Third Street.' The highest showing hand opens the betting round. If a pair is showing for any hand on Third Street, that player has the option of doubling his(her) bet amount, and "raising the stake" for this betting round. Otherwise, Third Street bets and raises are limited to the small stake.
Fourth Street: Another face up card is dealt to each player, and high hand opens the betting round. For these last three rounds, the bet amount is now the higher stake ($10 in a $5/$10 game).
The River: The final card is dealt to each player face up, making a total of 5 cards in each hand. Now the final betting round begins, and as before, the highest showing hand starts the betting. The River bets are still limited to the upper stake. ($10 in a $5/$10 game).
The Showdown: The last player to bet or raise during the final betting round (the river) will show their hand first. If all the players checked through (nobody bet) on the river, the player to the left of the dealer will show first. The remaining players' hands will be automatically revealed moving clockwise, unless a hand is weaker than the winning hand shown. In this case, you'll have the option to show, or muck (fold without showing). The best five-card hand takes the pot.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Pokerppl.com. All rights reserved.