How To Play Five Card Stud
5 Card Stud Poker is a kind of poker very similar to 7 Card Stud Poker but seen less frequently in online casinos. This version of poker is very social but it has the element of being easier to figure out which might be why it is not so popular when it comes to money games, at least not as popular to the house. The advantage of this type of poker is that it is very beginner friendly and could serve as a great introduction to the world of poker for the new player.
How to Play 5 Card Stud
5 Card Stud Poker starts with what is called the Open and this means that the dealer gives each player two cards, one hidden and one open for all to see. After this everyone makes a bet and then it is time for the Third Street card to be dealt to each player. This card is open and is followed by more bets and then another open card, the Fourth Street, is dealt. The Fourth Street is followed by more bets and then the final card called the Fifth Street is dealt each player. This last card is also an open one but there are versions where this could be a hidden card making the game a bit more difficult to figure out. At Showdown everyone shows their complete hands and the winner scores the pot.
Betting In 5 Card Stud
In 5 Card Stud Poker each player places an Ante which is a small sum that goes to the common money pot. If the game is a low betting game the Ante is usually not in use and the size of it is determined by each individual poker room. After the ante bet there are four more bets and in the first betting round the player with the lowest valued card will start. The following betting rounds are started by the player with the highest hand. When two players have the same value of their hands the player sitting to the left of the dealer will start.
The first bet made has to be at least half of the minimum bet set for the game. But at a so called $2-$4 table the minimum bet is $2 and this means that the first two rounds must be at least $2 and the last two bets must be $4 minimum. If a player folds it will be the player to the left of the dealer that starts the bet. If two players have equal hands at Showdown they will get to share the pot.
Basic Five Card Stud Strategy
With only one card being hidden it is fairly easy to make an assessment of what the other players have at hand. Therefore a player should pay attention to the open cards in order to make his own decisions in a wise way. It is not a shame to fold and a player should make use of this option when needed and not stay in the game just for the sake of staying in. Fold when you need to fold but remember that with so many rounds 5 Card Stud Poker takes a bit more time and a bit of patience is essential.
Typically 5 Card Stud is much less common then Texas Holdem games. PokerStars And Chan Poker both offer Stud Poker games and have a good variety in the limits they offer.