Seven-Card Stud

Unlike Texas Hold'em, there are no community cards; each player receives their own individual seven cards throughout the hand. Three of these cards are dealt face down (private) and four are dealt face up (exposed). The player with the lowest exposed card typically initiates the betting on the first round.

Seven-Card Stud was actually the dominant poker variant in American casinos from the mid-20th century until the early 2000s. It lost its top spot largely due to the poker boom sparked by Chris Moneymaker's 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event win, which heavily popularized the faster-paced Texas Hold'em format on television.

A complete hand of Seven-Card Stud consists of exactly five betting rounds. These rounds are commonly known as Third Street (initial deal), Fourth Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, and Seventh Street (the river).

The initial forced bet, known as the bring-in, is determined by the player who holds the lowest-ranking exposed card after the initial three-card deal. If multiple players share the same lowest card rank, the tie is broken by card suits in reverse alphabetical order (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades).