Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud is a classic poker game played without community cards: each player receives seven cards over five betting rounds — some face up, some face down — and makes the best five-card hand. It was the dominant form of poker before Texas Hold'em.
| Cards | 7 per player, no community cards |
|---|---|
| Betting Rounds | 5 |
| Played Against | Other players |
| Era | Dominant pre-Hold'em |
No community cards
Unlike Hold’em and Omaha, Seven Card Stud has no shared cards. Each player is dealt their own mix of face-down and face-up cards across the hand, and memory matters: tracking the exposed cards that have been folded is a core skill. Players make their best five-card hand from their seven.
Frequently asked questions
How is Seven Card Stud different from Hold'em?
There are no community cards — each player gets their own seven cards across five betting rounds, and tracking opponents' exposed cards is key.
Sources
- Published poker rules
- Poker strategy literature