Introduction
Seven Card Stud is probably the most popular stud games. It can result in high pots, and affords you the opportunity to evaluate the other player's possible hands. There are no community cards, and each player has four of his seven cards exposed to the other players. There are five betting rounds in Seven Card stud as opposed to the four in Hold'em and Omaha.

Start Playing
Before any cards are dealt, all players must ante. This is a small bet, usually a fraction of the lower limit on the table.

Each player is dealt three cards, one at a time, two face down (hole cards) and one face up (up card/door card). The player showing the lowest upcard must bring-in the first round of betting. The lowest card is determined by value, in the event of a tie, then it is the lowest suit. This is the only time that suits are used in poker. In order of lowest suit, it is clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades,

The bring-in bet is a small bet slightly larger than the ante, and is also determined by the limit of the table you are playing, usually half the lower limit.

A normal round of betting follows with each player having the option to fold, call or raise to a full bet. Each raise is limited to the lower limit.

E.g. In a $10/$20 game, the ante is usually $1, the bring-in $5, and a full bet or complete bet is $10. In each round there is a maximum of 1 bet and 3 raises. The limit for bets is the lower limit for the first two rounds and the higher limit for the remaining rounds. The exception is if a player shows a pair on the second round he can go straight to the higher limit.

Fourth Street (second round of betting)
After betting has equalised, i.e. all players have bet the same amount, each player is dealt another card face up.

The player with the highest two face up cards starts the betting. If the highest two cards are a pair, they have the option to bet at either the higher or the lower limit. If two players are tied, then the player with the highest suit starts the betting.

Players can fold, call or raise, and providing that no-one has bet, they may also check (bet nothing), enabling them to see who else bets. If all players check, then play moves to the next round.

Fifth and Sixth Streets
In the fifth street each player receives another card face up. Betting starts the same as in the fourth street, but all bets are at the higher limit.

Sixth Street is identical to Fifth Street.

The highest hand showing starts the betting in each round.

Seventh Street (The River)
Each player receives their last card face down, and the player who started the betting in Sixth Street, starts the betting in this round.

Once betting has finished, the player who made the last strong raise or bet shows his five card hand, the best five card hand wins the pot.