Fixed Limit Stud is a version of the game where the big and small bets are set, fixed amounts (hence the name). If you are playing a $1/$2 Fixed Limit Stud game, the small bet would be $1 while the big bet would be double that amount, or $2. Starting Hand Categories for: Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud High-Low Eight or Better (Stud-Eight) Poker. The following terminology is useful for discussing starting hands in Seven-Card Stud High-Low poker. The table below defines 12 types of starting hands along.

1. Poker Limit Stud Hi Lo Rules
2. Poker Limit Stud Hi Lo Final Table
3. Limit Stud Hi-lo
4. Poker Limit Stud Hi Low

If you came up during the “Poker Boom” era, sparked in 2003 by (one of the most successful gamblers in history) Chris Moneymaker’s momentous victory at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, you probably haven’t had much exposure to Seven-Card Stud.

The wall-to-wall coverage of WSOP and World Poker Tour (WPT) back in the boom days meant that millions of poker fans worldwide learned no limit Texas holdem first. For many poker enthusiasts, in fact, Texas holdem is the only game they’ve ever played in the casino setting.

But it wasn’t always this way…

Before the boom, most poker players considered Seven-Card Stud to be their game of choice. The antique game, and its various offshoots like the split-pot variant Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight or Better, was the de facto poker product in casinos and card rooms from coast to coast through the late 1990s.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the basic gameplay and structure of Seven-Card Stud, here’s a quick tutorial to get you brought up to speed.

How to Play Seven-Card Stud

There will be two to eight players at the table, with everyone paying a nominal ante amount based on the game’s table stakes. Each player is dealt three cards to begin the hand.

Two of those cards are dealt face down, while the third is face up for the table to see. From there, whomever shows the lowest ranking card must place a forced bet known as the “bring-in.”

The antes and the bring-in bet serve the same purpose as the blinds in a game like Texas holdem, putting chips in the pot and giving players something to fight for. After the bring-in bet is made, the next player to the left acts by folding, calling the bring-in amount, or raising it up.

In a cash game using $5/$10 limits and a $2 bring-in, for example, a raiser could increase the bet to the $5 small bet amount.

Once the table has acted around on “third street,” named for the amount of cards held at this point, the dealer will deliver all remaining players a fourth card face up. Betting on fourth street sticks with the small bet unit, but all subsequent streets increase the stakes by using the “big bet” sizing.

Poker Limit Stud Hi Lo Rules

Players alternate taking face up cards and betting on fifth and sixth street, before taking their seventh and final card face down. After one last round of betting, the remaining players turn over their three hole cards. Whoever has the highest-ranked (in standard high-hand Seven-Card Stud) five-card poker hand takes the pot.

As you might imagine, removing shared community cards from the equation makes Seven-Card Stud a test of memorization. As a hand plays out, you’ll instantly get to see one card from each of your opponents’ hand.

Even if they wind up folding out, this knowledge can be used later to help deduce remaining opponents’ holdings or calculate your current drawing odds based on card elimination.

Seven-Card Stud in Las Vegas

Back in the 1990s, Sin City card rooms spread Seven-Card Stud by default, as interest in other variants like Texas holdem or Pot Limit Omaha was sparse to say the least. That script has definitely been flipped over the last two decades, leading to Seven-Card Stud’s current status as a niche game largely ignored by the recreational poker-playing masses.

The biggest cash games in town all use a mix or a rotation of variants, which typically runs between eight and 12 games. The mixed game economy has ensured that Seven-Card Stud remains alive and well. But, believe it or not, you can still visit the city of Las Vegas and enjoy straight up Seven-Card Stud like the good old days.

Below, you’ll find a full tour of five poker rooms in Las Vegas where you can still play Seven-Card Stud in style.

1 – Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa

Kicking off the list is Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa, a gorgeous venue located in the upscale suburb of Summerlin. To reach Red Rock Resort, you’ll need to drive about 25 minutes northwest of the Strip, but the wait will definitely be worth it for Seven-Card Stud fans.

As this handy guide from the PokerAtlas poker room database shows, Red Rock Resort is home to the lowest-stakes Seven-Card Stud games in all of Sin City with $4/$8 and $2/$10 games running a few times per week.

These tables play the Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight or Better offshoot though, so be sure to familiarize yourself with that game’s key twist. As the name suggests, the Hi-Lo Eight or Better version of Seven-Card Stud uses a split pot system in which a qualifying low hand can earn half of the pot. You’ll need to hold a string of five cards that are all ranked at eight or lower, something like 2-3-5-6-7 or 3-5-6-7-8, to form a qualifying low hand.

The goal in an Eight or Better hand is usually to “scoop” the pot, or win both the high and the low portions at the same time. Picture yourself holding the A-2-3-4-5 “wheel” straight to claim the high portion, with the same five card combo forming the best low hand at 5-high to get an idea of how scooping works in this extremely interesting Seven-Card Stud variant.

Red Rock Resort’s poker room isn’t the biggest in Las Vegas, but does boast 20 tables. And, on busy days, two of them should have Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight or Better running at extremely reasonable stakes.

The $4/$8 table uses a $40 minimum buy-in with no maximum limit, while the $2/$10 tables opts for a $100 minimum and no maximum. In the $4/$8 game, the ante stands at just $0.25 and the bring-in is for $1. As for the $2/$10 game, expect to ante $1 and bring-in for $2.

These stakes are perfect for recreational players looking to test the proverbial waters before moving up the ladder.

2 – Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall

Another “off-Strip” casino located far from the wilds of Las Vegas Boulevard, the Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall is a beloved casino for locals who appreciate value.

You’ll hit the Boulder Highway to get here, and when you do, the cozy 11-table poker room at Sam’s Town will have a sweet $2/$10 game featuring traditional high-hand Seven-Card Stud.

The minimum buy-in here is $50, but given the $10 big bet sizing and no maximum on buy-ins, most Seven-Card Stud players at Sam’s Town Casino roll with a $100 buy-in that gives them 10 big bets to work with.

Both the ante bet and the bring-in for this game are just $1 too, making even a minimum $50 buy-in plenty to get your feet wet.

3 – Bellagio Hotel and Casino

While the poker industry’s heaviest hitters like Doyle Brunson, Daniel Cates, and Jean-Robert Bellande duke it out in “Bobby’s Room” in the Bellagio, home to the largest stakes mixed cash games in Las Vegas at $2,000/$4,000 blinds, you can attempt to live vicariously through them.

Bellagio’s world-class poker room, as a regular host of the prestigious WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic with 37 tables, offers the most diverse array of Seven-Card Stud tables anywhere in Las Vegas.

The “smallest” stakes game here is $20/$40, however, so you’ll need to bring a bigger bankroll than would suffice at Red Rock Resort or Sam’s Town. Even so, the minimum entry point is a $200 buy-in (with no maximum), so these stakes certainly don’t box out recreational players by any means.

In the $20/$40 high-hand Seven-Card Stud game at the Bellagio, players ante for $3 and pay a $5 bring-in. These tables also charge a $5 house rake every 30 minutes.

On busy weekend nights, the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas also spreads a $30/$60 game of Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight or Better. Here, the minimum buy-in is $500 with no maximum, antes cost $5 apiece, and the bring-in runs $10. The house rake on the $30/$60 Eight or Better table is $7.

And to cap things off, you’ll also find a $50/$100 high-hand game that runs occasionally at any point in the week. At these higher stakes, the players prefer to add blind bets a la Texas holdem, so look for $5 and $15 small and big blinds, respectively. The ante and bring-in follow the same $5/$15 structure, putting plenty of chips in play right off the bat.

4 – Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino

For six weeks every summer, the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino becomes a smorgasbord of Seven-Card Stud tournaments and cash games thanks to the annual WSOP.

Plan your trip for between late May and mid-July to get in on the WSOP fun, which featured no less than 11 gold bracelet events based around Seven-Card Stud and its related variants a few months back.

The lowest entry point in terms of buy-in are the $1,500 high-hand Seven-Card Stud tournament, and its $1,500 Hi-Lo Eight or Better counterpart. As you might expect, elite pros dominate the smaller fields in these niche events, with veteran Eli Elezra winning the $1,500 high-hand tournament this summer for a $93,766 score.

You’ll also find a few $1,500 buy-in tournaments which feature Seven-Card Stud as one component of a mix. The eight-game mix is exactly what it sounds like, while the popular Dealer’s Choice event allows the dealer to call the game ahead of every new hand.

And of course, the centerpiece of the WSOP’s Seven-Card Stud schedule is the $10,000 buy-in World Championship which Hennigan claimed this year. That’s a hefty buy-in for most players, but you can try to parlay $500 or $1,000 into a seat through the satellite tournament qualification system.

5 – WSOP.com Online Poker Room

Although not technically a poker room in the traditional sense, WSOP.com offers online play on a fully regulated and legal platform.

You can play from anywhere in Las Vegas, or Nevada for that matter, provided you’re of age and have a steady internet connection.

Seven-Card Stud cash games on WSOP.com, in both high-hand and Hi-Lo Eight or Better versions, begin with $0.05/$0.10 limits and run up to $10/$20.

You’ll also find the occasional tournament running, including online satellites that feed into the live WSOP every summer.

Why Seven-Card Stud Remains Beloved by Poker Pros

Unfortunately for fans of Seven-Card Stud, the game’s lack of community cards and limit betting structure doesn’t make it a great fit for televised coverage.

With an entire generation caught up in the two-card tango of Texas holdem, defined by bold “all-in” bluffs and bad beats when the community cards come up just right, Seven-Card Stud has waned in popularity over the last decade or so.

It’s a shame, because Seven-Card Stud is among the most complex and challenging forms of poker ever devised.

The lack of community cards turns Seven-Card Stud into a contest of wills, one based on memorization skills, logical reasoning, the ability to back up a solid read with a well-timed bluff.

For this reason, well-rounded poker players who pride themselves on knowing all of the variants in a good eight-game mix down cold consider Seven-Card Stud to be the proving ground which separates elite pros.

Veteran pro Johnny “World” Hennigan captured his sixth career WSOP gold bracelet in the prestigious $10,000 Seven-Card Stud World Championship event. He told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that excelling in every old-school poker player’s favorite game made the win a little more special.

“I’ve won tournaments for much bigger prize money, but winning this tournament in particular had a lot of value to me. I grew up playing stud, and a lot of people say I’m the best at that game, and I’ve always been really good at that game. It’s kind of a feather in my cap.”

Conclusion

Clearly, Seven-Card Stud is a beautiful poker game that has withstood the test of time. It might not provide those memorable all-in moments and “Aces cracked” bad beats generated by Texas holdem, but true poker aficionados appreciate Seven-Card Stud for the skillful play required to excel.

Luck doesn’t play as large of a role in a game lacking community cards, and the limit betting structure actually produces much more action on any given hand. If you haven’t experienced Seven-Card Stud in the live arena, make sure to visit one of the poker rooms listed here during your next trip to Las Vegas.

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Short Description

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8 or Better (Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo), a version of Poker for between 2-8 players, is today among the most popular variations of Poker. The game has gained popularity, both in the US and abroad, due to its true Poker feel and highly challenging game play.

A hand of Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo consists of up to five Betting Rounds. Initially, each player places an 'Ante' (opening Bet) to 'seed' the Pot. Each player is then dealt two initial, private, facedown 'Hole Cards' and one, face up 'Door Card'. Players who remain active (do not Fold), throughout an entire hand of Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, will receive a total of three facedown cards and four face up cards.

After the fifth and final Betting Round is complete, there is a 'Showdown'. The players that create the highest and lowest (with no card higher in value than eight) ranking (valued), five card, Poker hands, using any combination of five of their seven total cards, split the Pot 50%-50% (if one player creates both the highest and lowest ranking Poker hands, that player receives the entire Pot).

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Step-by-Step

Step 1: The Ante

• Before the first deal of the cards, each player 'Sitting-in' places an initial Ante (opening Bet) (see the Limits, Antes & Rake in the how to play section of this site), in the centre of the table, to 'seed' the Pot.

Step 2: The Hole and Door Cards - The First Deal

• The Dealer distributes two facedown 'Hole Cards' and one face up 'Door Card'. The cards are dealt in a clockwise fashion, one at a time, starting with the first player to the left of the Dealer.

Step 3: The First Betting Round
Betting Limit: 1/2 of the Table's Lower Limit Stake

• The player with the lowest ranking (valued) Door Card showing, by suit, initiates the first Betting Round. This player is required to Bet no less than the 'Bring-in' amount (half of the table's Lower Limit Stake), up to the table's Lower Limit Stake. The Betting Round then proceeds, in a clockwise fashion, around the table, with each player acting in turn.

Step 4: 'Fourth Street' - The Second Deal

• Each active player (has not Folded), is dealt one additional card, face up.

Step 5: The Second Betting Round
Betting Limit: *Lower Limit Stake

• The active player with the highest ranking card(s) showing initiates the second Betting Round. The Betting Round then proceeds, in a clockwise fashion, around the table, with each player acting in turn.
  • The Betting in this Round is set at the table's Lower Limit Stake;
  • In the event that a player is 'Showing' a Pair, with their two face up cards, at the beginning of the second Betting Round, players have the option to Bet in multiples of either that table's Lower or Higher Limit Stake. If a player Bets at the table's Higher Limit Stake, all following players are required to continue Betting at the table's Higher Limit Stake.

Step 6: 'Fifth Street' - The Third Deal

• Each active player is dealt one additional card, face up.

Step 7: The Third Betting Round
Betting Limit: Higher Limit Stake

• The active player with the highest ranking card(s) showing initiates the third Betting Round. The Betting Round then proceeds, in a clockwise fashion, around the table, with each player acting in turn. The Betting in this Round is set at the table's Higher Limit Stake.

Step 8: 'Sixth Street' - The Fourth Deal

• Each active player is dealt one additional card, face up.

Step 9: The Fourth Betting Round
Betting Limit: Higher Limit Stake

• The active player with the highest ranking card(s) showing initiates the fourth Betting Round. The Betting Round then proceeds, in a clockwise fashion, around the table, with each player acting in turn. The Betting in this Round is set at the table's Higher Limit Stake.

Step 10: 'The River' - The Fifth and Final Deal

• Each active player is dealt one additional card, face down.
  • Occasionally, there are not enough cards in the deck to give each player their own final seventh card, the River, face down. In this case, one card will be placed, face up, in the centre of the table. This 'Community Boardcard' is shared by all active players.

Step 11: The Fifth and Final Betting Round
Betting Limit: Higher Limit Stake

• The active player with the highest valued card(s) showing begins the fifth Betting Round. The Betting Round then proceeds, in a clockwise fashion, around the table, with each player acting in turn. The Betting in this Round is set at the table's Higher Limit Stake.

Step 12: The Showdown

• Once the fifth Betting Round has been completed, there is a 'Showdown' (if more than one player remains active - see the Showdown below). In the Showdown, each active player combines any five of their seven total cards, to create:
  1. The lowest ranking (valued), five card, Poker hand possible, with no card higher in value than eight (see the Hand Ranking Chart section of this site);
     Or
  2. The highest ranking, five card, Poker hand possible;
     Or
  3. Both the highest and lowest ranking Poker hands possible.
• The two active players who create the highest and lowest ranking Poker hands split the Pot 50%-50%, minus the 'Rake' (see the Limits, Antes & Rake in the how to play section of this site).
  1. Should one active player create both the highest and lowest ranking Poker hands, that player receives the entire Pot, minus any All-in Pots and the Rake.
  2. If there is no qualifying low hand (with no card higher in value than eight), the player with the highest ranking hand receives the entire Pot, minus any All-in Pots and the Rake.

1. The Buy-in

Before joining a 888poker Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, players must purchase a minimum amount of Chips to play with ('Buy-in').

At 888poker, the minimum Buy-in amount is 10 times the Lower Limit Stake of that particular table (i.e. at a $1/$2 table the player must Buy-in with a minimum of $10) (see the Limits, Antes & Rake in the how to play section of this site).

2. The Ante

Before any cards can be dealt, each player wishing to 'Sit-in' (participate) on the hand must place an Ante (opening Bet) in the centre of the table (see the Limits, Antes & Rake in the how to play section of this site)

Once the Antes have been placed, the Sitting-in players are each dealt two facedown 'Hole Cards' and one face up 'Door Card'. The cards are dealt in a clockwise fashion, one at a time, starting with the first player to the left of the Dealer.

The first Betting Round is initiated by the player, Sitting-in, with the lowest ranking (valued) Door Card showing, by suit.

3. The Betting Rounds & Limits

There are five possible Betting Rounds in 888poker's Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo. In each Betting Round, the amount that players Bet is determined by that specific table's Lower and Higher Limit Stakes (Betting amount). A table's Lower Limit Stake is always half of the Higher Limit Stake (i.e. a $1/$2 table, or a $5/$10 table).

Poker Limit Stud Hi Lo Final Table

• In the first Betting Round, of a Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Poker hand, players Bet in multiples of no less than the 'Bring-in' amount (one half of that table's Lower Limit Stake), and no more than that table's Lower Limit Stake;
• In the second Betting Round, of a Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo game, players Bet in multiples of that Table's Lower Limit Stake:
  1. If a player is showing a Pair, with their initial 2 face up cards, players have the option to Bet in multiples of that table's Lower or Higher Limit Stake. Once a player Bets at that table's Higher Limit Stake, then all following players must also Bet at the Higher Limit Stake.
• In the final three Betting Rounds, of a Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Poker game, players Bet in multiples of that table's Higher Limit Stake.

888poker's Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo follows the conventional Poker Betting Round Structure. Betting Rounds always proceed in a clockwise fashion, from one active player to the next. Each player must either:

1. Check - Pass the option to act to the next active player;
   Or
   
2. Bet - Place a Betting Round's initial increase to the amount that each of the following players must place in the Pot, in order to remain in the hand;
   Or
   
3. Raise - Place a Betting Round's 2nd, 3rd or 4th increase to the amount that each of the following players must place in the Pot, in order to remain in the hand;
   Or
   
4. Call - Equal the previous active player's Betting amount in that Betting Round and remain in the hand;
   Or
   
5. Fold - Discard hand and no longer remain active to participate in the hand. The player forfeits the amount (if any) that they have previously wagered during that hand.

In keeping with conventional Poker rules, within each Betting Round there can be no more than one Bet and three additional Raises ('Raise', 'Reraise' & 'Cap'). Once a Cap occurs, the following players will only be able to Call or Fold.

A Betting Round is concluded when:

1. All active players have Checked in turn;
   Or
   
2. All active players have Called the last player to Bet or Raise, in turn;
   Or
   
3. All previous active players have chosen to Fold, leaving only one active player. This remaining player automatically wins the Pot; both the Betting Round and hand are automatically terminated.

After each of the subsequent four deals of the cards ('Fourth Street', 'Fifth Street', 'Sixth Street' and 'The River*'), there is a Betting Round, which is initiated by the active player (has not Folded) with the highest ranking hand.

*Occasionally, there are not enough cards in the deck to give each player their own final seventh card (The River), face down. In this case, one card will be placed, face up, in the centre of the table. This 'Community Boardcard' is shared by all active players.

4. The Showdown

Once the fifth Betting Round has been completed, if more than one player remains active in the hand, there is a 'Showdown'.

In the Showdown, each active player combines any five of their seven total cards, to create the highest and/or lowest (with no card higher in value than eight) ranking, five card, Poker hand(s) possible.

888poker follows Standard Poker Rules for determining Poker hand rank (see the Hand Ranking Chart section of this site);

The active players who create the highest and lowest (with no card higher in value than eight) ranking Poker hands split the Pot 50%-50%, minus the Pot(s) won by any players holding higher and/or lower ranking 'All-in' hands (see the Limits, Antes & Rake in the how to play section of this site).

Should one active player create both the highest and lowest ranking Poker hands, that player receives the entire Pot, minus any All-in Pots and the Rake. Further, if there is no qualifying low hand (with no card higher in value than eight), the player with the highest ranking hand receives the entire Pot, minus any All-in Pots and the Rake.

Limit Stud Hi-lo

The cards are shuffled before each hand.

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Poker Limit Stud Hi Low

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