Five Card Stud is one of the oldest poker variants, with roots dating back to the American Civil War. The game isn’t nearly as popular in modern times as it once was but it can still be found at some online card rooms and in plenty of home games.
5 Card Stud would normally be a much more popular game but it has one major problem: too much information is given to the players. The game is played so that 4 of each player’s cards are dealt face up and only one is dealt face down. As a result, it makes it very easy for players to guess the strength of their opponents’ hands.
The increasing popularity of games like Texas Holdem and Omaha have also taken a big chunk of out 5 Card Stud’s fan base. Players who are used to seeing big hands on a somewhat frequent basis will find 5 Card Stud too slow for their liking. In 5 Card Stud, you get exactly 5 cards and that’s your final poker hand.
Despite its troubles, Five Card Stud is still played by people all around the world. If you play online, you’ll have a hard time finding players so the best place to play is to find home games that include 5 Card Stud in the line up.
Five Card Stud is played with a similar structure to Seven Card Stud. The main difference between the two games is the number of cards dealt. Here’s how a typical hand of 5 Card Stud is played:
1. Every player in the game pays an ante at the beginning of each hand. The ante is mandatory but it’s only equal to about 10%-20% of the lower betting limit.
2. After the antes have been paid, each player is dealt one card face down and one card face up.
3. The player with the lowest card showing must pay the “bring-in.” The bring-in is another forced bet equal to about half the lower betting limit. If there are two or more players tied for the lowest card, suits are used to determine which card is the lowest. Clubs are the highest suit, followed by Diamonds, Hearts and finally Spades.
After that player pays the bring-in, he may choose to check or “complete it” by raising it up to a full minimum bet. The betting then continues clockwise around the table. The players must either match the current bet or fold.
4. One card is dealt face up to each player. This is followed by a round of betting that begins with the player who is showing the highest card. This player has the option to check or bet. The betting continues to the left around the table.
5. One card is dealt face up to each player. This is followed by a round of betting that begins with the player who is showing the highest card. From this point on, all bets must be in increments of the upper betting limit.
6. A fifth and final card is dealt face up to each player. This is followed by another round of betting identical to the previous round.
If there are 2 or more players remaining after this round, the players have a showdown. The player with the best 5 card poker hand wins the pot. If two hands of the same value are revealed, the pot is split equally among those players.