Five-card stud rules

The earliest stud game, and the tightest. Each player gets one card face down and four face up, one at a time, with a betting round after each.

How it plays

The hole card is the only thing hidden, so almost the whole table is readable. With just five cards and no draw, hands finish small — a pair often wins, and two pair is a strong holding.

Order of play

After the first face-up card is dealt, the lowest card brings in the betting. From then on the best face-up hand acts first each round.

Because so little is concealed, the game is more about betting than about cards. A visibly strong board can win the pot without ever being shown down.

The ante

Everyone puts an ante into the pot before the deal, so there is always something to play for. The bring-in that opens the first round is a small forced bet on top of it.

The showdown

After the fifth card and the last round of betting, the players still in turn up their hole card, and the best five-card hand takes the pot. There is nothing to choose: your hand is exactly the five cards you were dealt.

How many can play

With five cards each, up to ten players can sit down and the deck never runs short.

Its place in poker

Five-card stud is older than seven-card stud and was once the stud game most tables played. Seven-card stud, and later hold'em, have largely taken its place.