What Is 5 Card Stud Poker?
Five Card Stud Poker is one of the oldest poker variants with roots in the American Civil War. Compared to other high-profile poker variants like Texas Hold’em, Five Card Stud Poker is easier to learn and enjoy for beginner poker players. Like any poker or casino game, for that matter, there are rules and tricks of the trade, which this article breaks down.
What is the Objective of 5 Card Stud Poker?
In its essence, the objective of 5 Card Stud Poker is to have the strongest five-card hand possible to win. The objective is to have the best hand or bluff the other players into folding to win. Before the rise of Texas Hold’em, 5 Card Stud Poker was the major tournament game played and celebrated in Hollywood films like “The Cincinnati Kid” starring the late Steve McQueen.
What Terminology Do You Need to Know for 5 Card Stud Poker?
Ante: Refers to the initial small bet all players make to go to the pot.
Hole Card: The card that each player receives face down.
Face-up Card: The four cards that are dealt face up to the players.
Call: This is where the players match another player’s bet.
Raise: This is the opposite of calling. Raising means to increase the bet based on the other player’s bet.
Fold: This is where a player folds their hand, giving up on the playing round to prevent massive losses.
First Street: Is a unique term related to 5 Card Stud Poker that describes the first deal with one hole and face-up card.
Showdown: This is the final round, where the last players go at each other, trying to get the other to fold.
What Are the Different Hands in 5 Card Stud Poker?
Like other poke games, 5 Card Stud Poker has different payouts based on the strength of the final five-card value:
High Card: When you don’t have at least one pair, the highest value card in the hand is the high card.
The Pair: When two cards have the same value.
Two Pair: When a playing hand has two sets of identical value cards. For example, a pair of tens and a pair of fives.
Three of a Kind: When a player has three cards of the same value. For example, three fours.
Four of a Kind: When a player has four of the same card value. For example, four eights.
Straight: Having five cards that form an increasing sequence. For example, 2, 3, 4, five, and 6, regardless of the playing suit.
Flush: When a player has five cards of the same suite without any necessary order.
Full House: When a player has a three of a kind and a pair.
Straight Flush: When players have five cards that form an increasing sequence and all from the same suit.
Royal Flush: When a player forms an impressive hand of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and an Ace from the same playing suite.
Most successful 5 Card Stud Poker players win by bluffing that they have at least have a full house. The masters form the supreme bluff that they have a straight flush.
How to Play 5 Card Stud Poker
Even though 5 Card Stud Poker was the most popular American poker variant before the rise of Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker, because it involves multiple players, you won’t find it as a standalone game at either traditional or American online casinos. Instead, today’s 5 Card Stud Poker games are played in tournaments with very generous pots.
Besides the ante bet, some 5 Card Stud Poker games might also require players to make the bring-in bet. The bring-in bet is paid by the player with the lowest-value face-up card before the first round begins. 5 Card Stud Poker has a series of rounds known as “streets.” Each street begins with an ante bet and concludes when players begin to fold.
5 Card Poker Rules
- Usually plays with a 52-card deck that doesn’t have jokers.
- The playing round starts with the ante bet.
- The first round begins with each player receiving a face-up and a hole card.
- In the other betting rounds, the players are systematically dealt three face-up cards.
- The showdown run begins when the other players have folded in the previous rounds.
- Order of Play
- Five Card Stud Poker is thrilling because it follows a strict order. There is a designated dealer who doesn’t participate in the gameplay.
- All the players make an ante bet. In some cases, a bring-in bet is necessary.
- The player to the immediate left of the dealer receives the first set of cards, the hole and face-up cards
- In the second street, all the remaining players receive one more face-up card.
- The other betting rounds have the remaining players dealt another face-up card. The player with the lowest-ranking face-up card continues to start the betting. These rounds continue until more players have folded.
- In the showdown, the player with the best face-up cards starts the betting.
- Because 5 Card Stud Poker is one of the oldest variants, tradition and order of play are highly protected and revered.
Enjoy 5 Card Stud Poker
With the rise of Texas Hold’em and Omaha without limit, 5 Card Stud Poker is harder to play at today’s retail casinos. Still, you can find a room here and there. The best way to enjoy this classic poker variant is with some good buddies at home with some friends. Like anything, play and bet responsibly. Also, don’t take markers when you’re out of funds.