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How to Play Seven-Card Stud Poker (Often Called "7 Hands")

You likely mean Seven-Card Stud — the classic poker variant where each player receives seven cards (three down, four up) and makes the best five-card hand.

Basics

Players: 2–8
Deck: Standard 52-card
Betting: Fixed-limit, spread-limit, or pot-limit (fixed most common)
Ante: Small forced bet from all players pre-deal

Deal & Betting Rounds ("Streets")

Street	Cards Dealt	Face	Action Starts With
Third Street	2 down, 1 up	↓↓↑	Lowest upcard (bring-in)
Fourth Street	1 up	↑	Highest upcards
Fifth Street	1 up	↑	Highest upcards
Sixth Street	1 up	↑	Highest upcards
Seventh Street (River)	1 down	↓	Highest upcards

Showdown

Remaining players reveal all 7 cards; choose best 5-card poker hand. Standard rankings apply (Royal Flush → High Card).

Key Strategic Concepts

Door card (3rd street upcard) defines bring-in and early reads.
Dead cards: Track folded upcards — crucial for draw odds.
Stealing antes: High door card often bets to take antes uncontested.
Position: Acting last on later streets is powerful.

Common Variants

Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo (Eight-or-Better): Split pot — best high & qualifying low (5 cards ≤8) share.
Razz: Lowball only (worst hand wins); A-2-3-4-5 best.
Roll Your Own: Players choose which downcards to expose.

Seven-Card Stud rewards memory, observation, and selective aggression — the "purest" poker test.

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