Seven-card stud
A classic stud poker variant with seven cards per player.
Seven-card stud, also known as Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River, is a variant of stud poker. Before the 2000s surge of popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was one of the most widely played poker variants in home games across the United States and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Although seven-card stud is not as common in casinos today, it is still played online.
- Type
- Poker variant
- Also known as
- Seven-Toed Pete, Down-The-River
- Players
- 2 to 8 (9 possible)
- Betting structure
- Ante and bring-in (casino); ante only (home games)
- Deal
- Two down, four up, one down
- Part of mixed games
- HORSE and similar formats
Lore & Background
Seven-card stud is played with two to eight players, though eight may require special rules for the last cards dealt if no players fold, and playing with nine is possible. In casino play, it is common to use a small ante and bring-in; in home games, using only an ante is typical. The game begins with each player being dealt two cards face down and one card face up. The player with the lowest-ranking up-card pays the bring-in, and betting proceeds in normal clockwise order. If two players have equally-ranked low cards, the card's suit may be used to break the tie. If there is no bring-in, the first betting round begins with the player showing the highest-ranking up-card, who may check; suit is not used to break ties in that case.
Reader's Guide
Seven-card stud is the 'S' game in HORSE and similar mixed game formats. Its significance lies in its historical prominence as one of the most widely played poker variants in the United States before the Texas hold 'em boom. The game requires players to use information from face-up cards to make strategic decisions, as a player who sees a certain card folded knows that card will never appear in another opponent's hand. The sample deal illustrates typical play: four players ante, receive cards, and proceed through multiple betting rounds until showdown, where each player makes the best five-card poker hand from their seven cards. Variants include Mississippi, roll your own, Queens and after, Baseball, Low Chicago, High Chicago, Acey Ducey, one-eyed Jacks or Suicide King as wild, Razz (lowball), and Seven-Card Stud High-Low (split pot). In popular culture, the game is referenced at the end of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire.
Did You Know?
- Seven-card stud is also known as Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River.
- The game is commonly played with two to eight players, but playing with nine is possible.
- In casino play, a small ante and bring-in are common; in home games, only an ante is typical.
- Seven-card stud is the 'S' game in HORSE and similar mixed game formats.
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