Stud poker
For most of the twentieth century, Stud Poker – in one form or another – was the game of choice for the majority of the world´s card players. Even when Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim introduced Texas Hold´em to Las Vegas, many of the gambling fraternity – apprehensive of the betting strategies employed by the experienced Texans – avoided the “new game” and remained loyal to the discipline of poker they were most familiar with. Indeed, had it not been for TV coverage of the World Series of Poker throughout the 1980s, Stud Poker might still be the most popular poker game in the world.
The 7 Card Stud Championship at the WSOP is still one of the major draws of the series, with prize pots well over $1 million and, in games of mixed poker, the Stud Poker rounds can be pivotal for success – indeed, three of the disciplines in the WSOP Players Championship are Stud Poker based games. For many, StudPoker still remains a game of choice, and this can been seen by its popularity at many poker sites. Even at the quietest times of the day, hundreds of cash games and tournaments are being played, and all of the major online poker sites provide stud poker facilities through their poker download software and in their instant play casinos.
Play Stud Poker at Online Poker Sites
While there are probably hundreds of poker sites offering Holdem Poker, a much smaller portion is offering the rest of the variations like 7 Card Stud, Hi Lo, 5 Card Stud and Caribbean Poker. For sure a lot of people out there are dying to play Stud Poker for real money, but are having a hard time finding the right room with a good amount of players. Party Poker offers 7 Card Stud, but it’s hard to find even one full table filled with players during the whole day. Don’t waste your time on that one, you will be disappointed. We covered 2 poker rooms that offer all of the poker game variations – the first one is also accepting players from the United States, so everybody should be able to figure out where to play Stud Poker online and get started.
Black Chip Poker – The Best Stud Poker Site for US Players
PokerStars – Best Stud Poker Room for Players that are NOT from the US
psa3714
The Attraction of Stud Poker
The great attraction of Stud Poker is that the game is as much about players, position and cards as Texas Hold´em or Omaha Poker, but Stud Poker players are rarely presented with the risk of blowing their stack due to the most unbelievable suck-out. Even though the element of bluffing is almost absent from the Fixed Limit versions of Stud Poker, there is greater emphasis on observation – particularly remembering the values of open cards held by players who folded their hands in an early round of betting.
For those online poker players who are unfamiliar with Stud Poker, it is a very different type of game from Texas Hold´em or Omaha Poker. There are no communal cards, a better chance of accurately putting a player on a hand, and your position in the order of the betting can change five times a hand! The disappointment of seeing the card you need to make your own hand land face up in front of an opponent takes a little getting used to, but it is not as bad as going on tilt and doing your bankroll in a session.
There are similarities as well. Stud poker is full of passive players willing to go to fifth street and fold when the big blinds kick in and, of course, there are the sharks who will wait patiently for the right hand to come along in the right conditions before they bite. The best hand does not always win at Stud Poker, and there are plenty of ways you can influence your success – the first being to read our guide to the different Stud disciplines below.
The StudPoker.org Guide to …
7 Card Stud Poker – Despite the differences in the way that cards are distributed in 7 Card Stud, the aim is still to make the best five card hand you can from the seven you are dealt. Making players believe that your two hole cards are better – or worse – that they anticipate is all a matter of skill and observation. (Read more)
7 Card Hi Lo Stud Poker – Know under many different names, 7 Card Hi Lo Stud is a popular game for novices to Stud Poker because of the chance to win half the pot by creating the lowest ranked hand of five cards as well as the highest. The benefit if you manage to do both in a valuable pot can make the difference between a winning session and a losing one. (Read more)
5 Card Stud Poker – Knowing your opponents and their betting tendencies is the key to profitable 5 Card Stud. With no open cards to help you put your opponent on a hand, if you can manage to determine when they are bluffing – and, just as importantly, when they are not – you will find 5 Card Stud Poker an enjoyable and lucrative game of poker. (Read more)
Razz Poker – Razz Poker developed it´s popularity through being the “R” in HORSE. Now many online poker players enjoy playing Razz as a stand-alone game in which the object is to create the lowest possible 5 card hand from the seven cards dealt. Before you start playing, it is important to know the differences between Razz and other “lowball” games. (Read more)
Caribbean Stud Poker – Caribbean Stud is played against the house at online casinos rather than against fellow humans (or even virtual ones!). Closer to 5 Card Stud than 7 Card Stud, Caribbean Stud Poker has a very rigid set of rules and betting procedures, which it is better for you to know before you place your first dollar onto the ante spot. (Read more)
We want to thank Kevin of pokerDownload.co.uk for all of his excellent help on our design, without your help we could not have done it!