How To Play | 7 Card Stud

• To begin, players are dealt two down cards and one up card, followed by a round of betting. The first round of betting starts with a predetermined "force bet" – a mandatory bet by the player with the lowest up card – the amount of which varies from limit to limit. Following this betting round, three additional up cards are dealt one at a time, with a betting round following each card. Then, a final down card is dealt followed by the last betting round.

• The initial action, also known as the "force bet," is made by the player with the lowest ranking up card, ranked by suit, if necessary, with aces always counting as high. On all following betting rounds, the player whose up cards form the highest ranking hand starts the action.

• In a structured limit game (e.g. $10-$20 Stud), on the first betting round any player – including the one with the low card – may bet either the force bet amount or the lower structured amount for that betting round.

• After the structured bet has been made, all calls and/or raises must be made by the structured bet amount. In a spread limit game (e.g. $1-$5 Stud), on the first betting round any player (including the player with the low card) may bet any amount within the limits at any time. All raises must be greater than or equal to the previous bet or raise, but cannot exceed the maximum dollar limit for that game.

• Players are allowed to check and raise, with a maximum of three raises per betting round. If action becomes "heads up" (only two active players remaining) before the third raise is made, there is no limit to the number of raises that the remaining players can make.

• If there is a tie in determining initial action for a betting round, the player with the tied hand who is sitting closest to the left of the dealer is responsible for starting the action for that betting round.

• If there is an open pair on the fourth card in a structured game, any active player has the choice of making a bet or raise at the higher limit.

• The standard ranking of hands applies when determining the value of a player's hand. A player may only use five of their seven cards.