Stud Poker

Stud Poker is any of a number of poker variants in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds.

Stud games are also typically non-positional games, meaning that the player who bets first on each round may change from round to round (it is usually the player whose face-up cards make the best hand for the game being played).

It is a common rule in stud poker games to designate the betting rounds after the number of cards each player holds and when that betting round begins. The betting that occurs when each player has three cards is called third card or 'third-street', while the bet that occurs when each player has five cards is 'fifth-street'.

The final round, no matter how many number of betting rounds, is called the 'river'.

The amount of betting rounds in a poker game manipulates how well the game plays with diverse betting structures. Poker games with four or fewer betting rounds such as Five-card stud poker and Mississippi stud poker play well with any structure and especially suited to no limit and pot limit play. Poker games with more betting rounds are more suited to fixed limit or spread limit. It is common for later betting rounds to have higher limits than earlier ones.

The two most common Stud Poker variants are Five Card Stud and Seven Card Stud. Five card stud poker is very popular but in recent years, seven card stud poker has become the more common stud poker games. Both are played at home and in casinos.

Other Stud Poker variants include:

• Six-card stud
• Razz (and London lowball)
• Eight-or-better high-low stud
• Mississippi stud
• Mexican stud
• Option alley
• Canadian stud or Sökö
• English stud
• Seven-card flip
• Kentrel
• Chicago
• Baseball
• Cowpie Poker
• Number Nine
• Draft
• Auction