Five Card Stud TOPICS Draw Poker Five Card Stud Seven Card Stud Community Card Other Fun Poker Non-Poker Games Rules of the Igloo Variant Ideas BACK TO HOME   Got a great game? See an error? I love to get feedback! Please write me at chilcoot@mtaonline.net There's not much mystery in five card stud, since in the typical game four of five cards are exposed. However, because it uses so few cards per hand, five card stud is great for crowded poker tables, allowing up to ten players to play.   Five Card Stud PLAYERS Up to ten. INITIAL DEAL One down, one up to each player. PLAY Bet. Deal one up to each player. Bet. Continue alternating up cards and bets until each player has five cards. Bet. Showdown. WINNER High hand. VARIATIONS Lowball. High-Low Split. Fifth card dealt down. Pistol Stud: Add a bet between down card and first up card. Five Card Ronnie: Players may pay a set amount to the pot for a sixth card. Thanks Brandon Waldo! Puff and Sluff Players have the option of keeping the first up card dealt to them, or paying a fee to the pot and passing the card to the next player. Passing player must accept the second card dealt from the deck. Players who receive a passed card also have the option of keeping it or passing it for a fee. If a card is passed by the last remaining player, it is discarded. After a declare and a final bet, pot is split high low. Game's author, Pierre LeDrappier, says that they do not ignore straight and flush issues in evaluating low hands, so best low is unsuited A-2-3-4-6. Pierre also says that it is fun to allow players the option of paying a fee to the pot for a sixth card, dealt up or down. If taken down, player must expose original hole card. Five Card Baseball PLAYERS Up to ten. INITIAL DEAL One down, one up to each player. PLAY Bet. Deal one up to each player. Bet. Continue alternating up cards and bets until each player has five cards. Nines and threes are wild. Player dealt an up three must immediately match the pot (perhaps limited to a set amount) or fold. If a player is dealt a face up four, the player immediately receives a bonus up card. If that up card is also a four, the player immediately receives another up card. When all players have received their fifth card, bet. Showdown. WINNER High hand. Best Flush PLAYERS Up to ten. INITIAL DEAL One down, one up to each player. PLAY Bet. Deal one up to each player. Bet. Continue alternating up cards and bets until each player has five cards. Bet. Showdown. WINNER High hand based on the following: Only flushes or straight flushes may win. If no one has a straight flush (highly likely), best flush wins. If no one has a flush (pretty likely), best four card flush, three card flush, or two card flush wins. In case of tie, winner is based on rank of cards comprising flush. Mexican Stud PLAYERS Up to ten. INITIAL DEAL Two down to each player. At dealer's signal, players simultaneously expose one of their two card PLAY Bet. Players are dealt another card down and expose one of their two down cards. Bet. This continues until all players have five cards one down, four up. Bet. Showdown. WINNER High hand. VARIATIONS Rickey De Laet: Hole card and all like it for that player are wild. Shifting Sands: First exposed card and all like it for that player are wild. Show Five PLAYERS Up to seven. INITIAL DEAL Seven face down to each player. PLAY At dealer's signal, each player simultaneously exposes a card. Bet, beginning with player with high hand showing. Expose. Bet. Continue until four cards are exposed. Bet. Declare. Bet. Showdown, which requires one final card to be exposed. Players may change the order of cards to be exposed at any time. WINNER High-Low split based on the five exposed cards. Three Card Substitution PLAYERS Six for certain, but it's safe to call with seven. INITIAL DEAL One down, one up to each player. PLAY Play as in five card stud, with a bet following the fifth card. Beginning with the player to the left of the player with the lowest card showing and proceeding to the left through each player, each player may substitute an up or down card for a fresh one from the dealer for one unit. Bet. Beginning with the player to the left of the player who now has the lowest poker hand showing and proceeding to the left, each player may substitute an up or down card for two units. Bet. A similar round of substitutions for three units, followed by a bet. Declare. Bet. Showdown. WINNER High and low hands split the pot.