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). The cards dealt face down to each
individual player are called hole cards (which gave rise to the common
English expression ace in the hole, which suggests that one has something
valuable that is hidden from view).
Five-card stud first appeared during the American Civil War, and
became very popular. In recent years, Seven-card stud has become
more common, both in casinos and in home games. These two games
form the basis of most modern stud poker variations.
The number of betting rounds in a game influences how well the
game plays with different betting structures. Games with four or
fewer betting rounds, such as five-card stud and Mississippi stud
(described below), play well with any structure, and are especially
well suited to no limit and pot limit play. Games with more betting
rounds are more suited to fixed limit or spread limit. It is common
(and recommended) for later betting rounds to have higher limits
than earlier ones. For example, a "$5/$10 Seven-card Stud"
game in a Nevada casino allows $5 bets for the first two rounds
and $10 bets for subsequent rounds. Also common is to make the final
round even higher: a "$5/$10/$20" game would allow $20
bets on the last round only. Another common rule is to allow the
larger bet on the second round if there is an "open pair"
(that is, at least one player's upcards make a pair). Some casinos
(typically in California) use the smaller limit on the first three
rounds rather than just the first two.
It is a common convention in stud poker to name the betting rounds
after the number of cards each player holds when that betting round
begins. So the bet 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, regardless of the number of betting
rounds, is commonly called the "river" or simply the "end".
The variations described below assume that you are already familiar
with five-card stud and seven-card stud, and with the game play
of poker in general.
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