Maintaining a notable level of interest among seasoned and aspiring poker players alike, 7 Card Stud Poker was once the most prominent form in both home games and casinos. The mid 1900s brought Texas Hold'em to the forefront of casino-based poker tournaments, yet 7 Card Stud Poker remains a thriving variant in poker tournaments and cash games.

Played with a standard deck of 52 cards, Seven Card Stud Poker can accommodate 2-8 players, though special rules are required if no one folds in an eight-handed game. A fixed limit betting structure is most commonly utilized in 7 Card Stud Poker games played at casinos and online poker sites, however some home games may implement a spread limit structure.

All Stud poker variants require each player to pitch in a small amount before every hand is dealt. Unlike blind bets, the ante isn't counted toward the player's first bet, antes simply establish a pot in the event that everyone folds to the last player to act. The ante is usually a nominal amount, either ten percent of the small or big bet, or simply the lowest chip denomination.

The first round of cards are dealt, clockwise, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer position. Each player receives two hole cards face-down, which will not be revealed to the others unless that player's hand reaches the showdown stage. A third card, known as "Third Street," is dealt face-up to each player. The value of the exposed cards is used to determine who acts first. In a home game played without a bring-in (discussed below), the player with the best card showing is given the opportunity to check, bet or fold first. This is not the case, however, when bring-ins are included.

Stud games played in casino poker rooms and at online poker sites typically employ a bring-in. The bring-in is a forced bet that is often half the amount of the minimum bet. The player with the worst exposed card (in 7 Card Stud Poker, this would be the lowest card value) must issue the bring-in, officially opening the betting round. If the lowest ranking card is held by two or more players, the bring-in is determined by suit rank. Suits are ranked - highest to lowest - spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs.

The player with the bring-in also has the choice of simply paying the minimum bring-in, or placing a complete bet in the amount of the lower limit. If only the bring-in amount is contributed, the next player has the option to call the bring-in, complete the bet (bringing it up to the low limit amount), or fold. Until someone completes the bet, each player may call the bring-in amount. The bring-in is only enforced in the first betting round.

In a live game, the top card would be "burned," (discarded, unseen), before the Fourth Street cards - and all subsequent rounds - are dealt, in order to reduce unfair advantages provided to players who may recognize marks or irregularities on the top card. Each player who has not folded receives their fourth card, face-up, after the first betting round has ended. The Player with the highest value showing acts first, having the option to check, open the bet at the low limit, or fold. In the case of a tie for best exposed card value, the first of the players to the dealer's left makes the initial action. Suit ranking is only used for determining the bring-in for the initial round of betting.

If one or more players have a pair showing, Seven Card Stud Poker rules may allow players to go ahead and jump to the higher betting limit if they so choose. For instance, if the first player to act in a $1/$2 7 Card Stud Poker game is showing a pair of Queens on Fourth Street, that player has the option to bet either $1 or $2. If the player chooses to bet the lower limit, any other player may continue to bet or raise in low limit increments or switch to the higher limit. Once a player raises the bet to the high limit increment all bets to follow through the rest of the hand must be placed in increments of the higher limit.

All players still in the hand receive their fifth card after the Fourth Street bets have all been settled. Again, this card is dealt face-up, and the highest exposed card value determines the first to act. All bets from this round forward are commonly bumped up to the high limit level, assuming a fixed limit structure, and that the limit wasn't raised on Fourth Street..

Once all of the remaining players have equalized their bets, the dealer burns the top card (if playing live) and deals the sixth card face-up. At this point, all relevant players should have two down-cards, and four up-cards. Betting continues in the same manner as before.

The last card is dealt face-down, giving each player who is still active in the hand three hidden cards. The final round of betting follows, in high limit increments.

Note: At a full table of eight players, if none of the players fold, the dealer will run out of cards before the seventh street cards can be dealt, requiring special 7 Card Stud Poker rules to deal with this rare situation. One can simply avoid this entirely by limiting home games to seven players. Alternatively, the last card will be dealt as a single, community card, in the center of the table. In this case, all players would share the Fifth Street card.

If the game comes to a showdown, hands are revealed in a designated order, beginning with either the first player to open the bet, or (if relevant) the last player to raise, regardless of which round the last bet or raising action occurred. The next active player to the left has the option of mucking their hand, unseen, if they cannot beat the best hand showing. Online Seven Card Stud Poker software may offer a choice to players who do not have the winning hand, but force the showing if the hand is the best so far, thus preventing the accidental mucking of a winning hand at showdown.

Despite the provision of seven cards, only the best five-card hand may be used to determine the winner of the pot. A sixth card may never be, even to break a tie. In the event equally ranked winning hands, the pot is evenly divided between those players.