How to Play 5-Card Stud

5-Card Stud Poker may lack the overwhelming popularity of Texas Hold’Em, but still maintains a loyal following of players due to the fast game pace and versatile but easily manageable strategies.

5-Card Stud – Objective

The achieve the highest ranking 5-Card poker hand among your opponents.

5 Card Stud – Stakes

The stakes determine the bids throughout the game, which are forced bets. For example, $1/$2 stakes would incite a typically $.25 ante for all players, followed by minimum $1 bids and maximum $2 bids at the start of the 5-Card Stud poker hand. The last two bets incite a doubling of the max wager, with forced bets rising to $4.

Five Card Stud – Betting Options

Check: A player may Check if no other player before him has bid in the current betting round. To Check is to decline wagering but remain in the hand. If a player Checks, and another player after him bids, the Checking player must call the bid to remain in the hand.

Call: To wager an amount equal to the previous bet in the current betting round.

Raise: To wager an amount higher than the previous bet in the current betting round. Only three Raises may be wagered in a single betting round.

All In: To push all remaining chips into the pot. When a player goes ‘All In’, they are not required place any further wagers throughout the hand. The All In player cannot win an amount from any player higher than his own All In bet. If the player loses an All In bet, all chips are lost and he is out of the 5-Card Stud poker game.

Fold: To forfeit the current hand and all chips in the pot, throwing in your cards.

5-Card Stud – Betting System / Game Play

For the sake of this tutorial, let’s assume this is a $1/$2 5-Card Stud Poker game. The exact betting rules differ by the Limits.

To start $1/$2 a hand of 5-Card Stud Poker, first each player must Ante usually $.25 to the pot. Each player, starting left of the Dealer and rotating clockwise, is dealt 2 cards, the first face down, second face up. This is called the ‘Starting Hand’. Each card dealt after the Starting Hand is called a ‘Street’.

1st Betting Round: The player with the highest face-up card begins the first round of betting. In the case of a tie, high hand is determined by suits, ranking highest to lowest – Spade, Heart, Diamond, Club. Minimum bet is $1, maximum $2.

1st Street: A third card is dealt face-up to each player.

2nd Betting Round: Again, the player with the highest face-up hand opens bidding. Minimum bet $1, maximum $2.

2nd Street: A fourth card is dealt face-up to each player.

3rd Betting Round: Another round of bidding, in the same fashion as before, except this time all bets (aside from Check) must be $4.

3rd Street: A 5th and final card is dealt face-up to each player.

4th Betting Round: The 4th and final round of betting begins, again with $4 forced bets.

The Showdown: Each player reveals his face-down card to determine the winner – the player with the highest ranking poker hand. In the event of a tie, high-card following or high suit determines the winner. For example, A+A+J+5+4 beats A+A+9+6+2 – Jack high. Or, if two players have a straight flush 4+5+6+7+8, one in spades, one in diamonds, spades win (Suit ranks – Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs).

Five Card Stud – Poker Hand Ranks (Highest to Lowest)

Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 suited)
Straight Flush (any 5 consecutive cards suited)
4 of a Kind (4 of the same card – 5+5+5+5)
Full House (3 of a Kind + Pair – 8+8+8+J+J)
Flush (any 5 cards suited)
Straight (any 5 consecutive cards – 7+8+9+10+J)
3 of a Kind (3 equal value cards – Q+Q+Q)
2 Pair (2 equal value cards + 2 more equal value cards – 6+6+Q+Q)
Pair (2 cards of equal value – K+K)
High Card (Ace is always highest)

Where to Play Online 5-Card Stud

5-Card Stud, lacking the wide-spread popularity of online poker games such as Texas Hold’Em, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo, cannot be found at every online poker rooms. In the same token, many online poker rooms that offer 5-Card Stud do not attract enough player traffic in the game to be worth playing. For a good 5-Card Stud Poker match, try one of the following online poker rooms, listed from highest 5-Card Stud Poker player traffic to lowest.