5 Card Stud Guide
Here is how 5 card stud poker is played.
Games are played with anything from two to ten players at the table. A round starts with each player first being dealt a face down card, called a pocket card. Immediately following this each player then receives another card this time face up. Players check their pocket card without revealing it to the other players.
There then follows a round of betting beginning with the player showing the lowest ranking face up card. This player must usually lay down a mandatory small blind bet that is half the table minimum. Betting continues clockwise around the table and each player must decide whether or not to fold, call, or raise the bet.
When all bets have been called each player still in the round receives another face up card known as 3rd street. To raise players must first match all previous bets. Another round of betting follows beginning with the player showing the highest ranking card who may choose to check, raise, or fold.
When all bets have been a called a fourth card known as 4th street is dealt face up to all players followed by another round of betting again beginning with the highest ranking card still in the round.
Finally, a fifth card is dealt face up to all remaining players followed by another round of betting as before. This is known as 5th street. When all bets are called comes the showdown when players reveal their hands and the highest ranking hand wins.
5 Card Stud is hard to find in brick and mortar casinos these days and rules concerning antes, small blinds and big blinds may vary from casino to casino. Also the number or raises permitted in each round may be limited if there are more than two players still playing for the pot. There are some internet casinos that offer the game. 5 Card Stud still has some popularity in social settings because it is easy and fun to play. In games played at home a variation is often used in which the 5th street card is dealt face down or the first two cards are dealt face down as pocket cards. This adds an element of uncertainty to each round but this rule is never played in casinos.
Although 5 Card Stud is one of the simplest forms of poker that doesn’t mean that it is all down to luck. Understanding your hand and how to play it is a skill in every form of poker and 5 Card Stud is no exception.
The first decision you have to make in each round is whether or not to play your opening hand. 5 Card Stud is a game in which high cards and pairs are the most common winners. If you have either or these then keep going to the next round on 3rd street. If you don’t have a pair but both of your cards beat the cards showing on the board then you have a hand that can be take to the next round.
A high card is a ten or higher, and if you aren’t holding a pair then your high card should at least beat everything else that is showing around the table. If not, get out while you can without losing any chips.
Alternatively, if you high card is showing but your pocket card is also a high card then keep going. An example would be an ace or king showing with a ten or jack as your pocket card.
You should not try and chase a straight or flush all the way to the final round on 5th street. Although you may make your hand on occasions most of the time you will end up with nothing and be beaten by a simple pair. Even if you do have a high card by the time you have seen 3rd street you should be holding at least a pair. If you aren’t then it is time to fold and cut your losses.
Keep an eye on your opponents showing cards and remember them even if they fold. The number of live cards, that is cards still in the pack that could help your hand, or your opponents, is an important consideration. The more live cards for your hand there are the better for you, and the more that could help your opponents the better for them.
If you notice cards that an opponent needs in someone else’s showing cards then you know they haven’t got what they are looking for and are not going to draw it either.
Also if your hand is beaten by cards showing in an opponents showing cards then fold out unless the hand you are drawing for would be unbeatable. Even then this is not something to be tried often because the odds are against you pulling it off.
In particular watch out for an opponent who pairs up his opening door card. This can often mean he is now holding three of a kind so unless you can beat that you are not going to get the pot.
Finally, observe how you opponents play their game. Do they play cautiously or do they keep chasing hands all the way to 5th street? A player who keeps going to 5th street is playing too many hands and will most likely be beaten by a reasonable hand when you have one.
All poker is about betting on your cards and 5 Card Stud poker is no different. Although the game is simple and there is much less opportunity to bluff there is still plenty that you can do to stay ahead of your opponents.
Before opening up with your betting you should always have a good starting hand. Don’t bet first with a mediocre hand in the hope that you will pick something up on 3rd street. If you do have a good hand then play fast, that is raise the bet and don’t just call. Although it may be tempting to wait things out and draw others into the pot there is always a chance that they will draw a hand that beats yours along the way.
If on 3rd street you hit a triple you have two ways of playing things depending on the way your opponents are playing. Three of a kind is a very strong hand and likely to take the pot so if you can’t see anything better showing on the board you should raise and keep raising. Your opponents can see that you have a two pair on your showing cards so they know you have a at least a pair and if they don’t draw something good on 4th street they are going to fold out anyway. You might as well get what you can while they are still in the pot.
On the other hand if you can see a potential triple that could beat yours take things a little easier and see what happens on 4th and 5th street. If they are still playing cautious on 4th street then it is likely that they missed the hand they were trying for and you have got them beat.
A good idea in 5 Card Stud is to occasionally get caught bluffing. This will serve to prevent your opponents assuming that you only play strong hands and they will be more willing to take you on when they are only holding weaker hands. Don’t forget, bluffing works both ways. You can bluff that your hand is stronger than it is, but it is even better to bluff your opponents into thinking they can beat you when they can’t.
How you opponents are betting is also very important. Some players will always call every bet to get to 5th street. If you come across such a loose player then keep raising on 3rd and 4th. You know that they will just keep coming and if they aren’t showing anything threatening in their face cards you will clean up.
As a general rule the stronger your hand the faster you should play it with each progressive round. This is because the strongest hand in each round is usually the strongest hand in the next round too. Try and calculate the strongest hand your opponents can be holding with their facing cards. The less hands they can have that will beat yours the looser you should play, that is raise as often as you can. In the long run you will win more than you will lose.
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