Stud poker is a classic Americana trope that’s prominent in film and television programming featuring poker. It’s also enjoying something of a comeback, thanks to new poker players wanting a challenge. Today, Stud is included in nearly every mixed game setup, whether in tournaments or cash games.

Poker players recognize that games like Five-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud are played as peer-to-peer formats, meaning there is no house or casino edge. Players compete against each other and pay only rake to the house. However, Stud-style games are also frequently seen in casinos as table games, such as Caribbean Stud Poker and Mississippi Stud Poker. While these mimic the gameplay of traditional Stud poker, they incorporate a house edge through dealer participation and bonus bet features.

Let’s explore the most popular Stud variants and the distinctions between them.

Five-Card Stud Poker: Simple Yet Challenging

Few poker games are more traditional than Five-Card Stud. It rose to widespread popularity during the American Civil War and has made a comeback in recent years due to the increasing popularity of mixed poker games and variations beyond Omaha and Hold’em.

To learn how to play Five-Card Stud poker, players start with a 52-card deck. The dealer gives each participant one face-down card and one face-up card. A bring-in bet typically starts the first betting round, followed by additional face-up cards and betting rounds, until a final card is dealt. The best five-card hand wins.

This version is ideal for new players exploring the best poker game variations for beginners, thanks to its straightforward mechanics yet strategic depth.

Seven-Card Stud Poker: The Classic Version

Seven-Card Stud has a rich history and serves as a strategic alternative to Five-Card Stud. Although it also uses a 52-card deck, this version includes more betting rounds and a mix of hidden and visible cards, making gameplay more complex.

Players start with two face-down cards and one face-up card. The following three rounds each bring another face-up card, and the seventh card is dealt face-down. After the final betting round, the best five-card hand wins. The game requires nuanced strategy, as explained in BetMGM’s Seven-Card Stud poker guide.

Caribbean Stud Poker: A Casino Favorite

Many casinos offer Caribbean Stud Poker as a table game. This means it is not located in the poker room and is not a peer-to-peer game. Players compete against the house, which means the house has an advantage. This edge increases when players use options like bonus bets. These usually offer a chance at a jackpot, but the odds favor the house.

What Caribbean Stud Poker has in common with regular poker isit is played with a traditional deck of cards, and each player receives five cards. Those curious about how to play Caribbean Stud Poker should know that each player competes solely against the dealer. The players’ cards are face down, and the dealer has four face-down cards with just one face-up card. Players can then fold and lose the ante or bet, in hopes their hand is stronger than the dealer’s hand.

In a comparison of Caribbean Stud vs 5-Card Stud Poker, the strategic depth varies widely. Considering there is only one round of betting after receiving cards, there is only one shot at using any strategy, which must be based on the dealer’s single face-up card. Strategy for Five-Card Stud, however, is multi-faceted, based on several betting rounds and the face-up cards of all opponents.

Mississippi Stud Poker: An Exciting Twist

Like Caribbean Stud, Mississippi Stud Poker is a house-banked table game, not played in traditional poker rooms. Bonus bets and jackpots often feature prominently, and players face off against the dealer, not one another.

To understand how to play Mississippi Stud Poker, each player starts with two face-down cards and three community cards placed face-down on the table. Players bet or fold based solely on their own cards. As each community card is revealed, players face further betting opportunities. As opposed to most poker games that consider the best five-card hand, Mississippi Stud plays the best two-card hand.

More Stud Poker Variants to Explore

With so many betting rounds and the mix of face-up and face-down cards, Stud has presented numerous opportunities for poker players to get creative. They have added some components and limited others to keep Stud Poker exciting and challenging.

Stud Hi-Lo Variations

Most Stud games in poker rooms where players compete offer Hi-Lo (or high-low) versions of the games. This is especially true when Stud is a part of a mixed game lineup like H.O.R.S.E. 

Players battle to win with the best high hand and low hand. High hand rankings are traditional, with the ace and king as the highest cards. Low hands qualify if there are five unpaired cards lower than an eight. A high hand can take the full pot if there is no qualifying low, but the pot can be split if one player wins the high and another player the low.

Razz Poker

Razz is common in mixed games and even as a stand-alone game. It plays for the lowest hand, the opposite of most poker games. It is usually a seven-card game, similar to Seven-Card Stud, with a bring-in bet and several betting rounds. To make the best five-card hand, the player counts from the ace, which ranks as the lowest card, upward. For example, the best hand is A-2-3-4-5. Straights and flushes are generally irrelevant.

Razz is a great addition to your repertoire if you’re exploring new and lesser-known poker variants and want to challenge your strategic thinking from a different perspective.

Register with BetMGM Poker to Play Now

In the United States online poker market, it is rare to find Stud games in cash game lobbies. Players sometimes find Stud poker as a part of a mixed game tournament format, but it is not as common online as it is in live poker settings.

To play the most popular forms of poker, like Hold’em and Omaha, play online with BetMGM Poker. And don’t forget to use a poker bonus code to make the most of your first deposit.