How to Play 5 Card Stud Poker

• Players will buy-in for the posted amount.
• Players will place an ante into the pot. Your ante will be placed into the pot by default. You may turn off this feature under the settings menu in the game.

The dealer always deals first to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table, will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt one card face down and then a second card known as the "door card" will be dealt face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the lowest card by value and suit. This is known as the "force" or "bring-in" bet.

The player with the lowest card value (ace being high) will be the force. In the event that two or more players hold door cards of the same rank, then the lowest suit will make the determination. Suits are ranked, from lowest to highest alphabetically, spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs (i.e., the two of clubs is the lowest possible card). This is the only time suits will play a role in the game.

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the third card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "Third street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deals to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table, will deal each player one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest two-card value. This is known as "having the action".

The player having the best hand on the board "has the action" and may make the initial bet of the round or check to the next player. If there is a tie between players as to the best hand, then the player closest to the dealer's left will have the action.

In fixed limit stud, if any player displays an open pair on third street, that player may bet the higher amount of the game limit (normally not available until fourth street).

If the player with the action chooses to make the lower limit bet, any other player still in the hand may choose to make either the lower limit or higher limit raise. Once any player has made the higher limit bet, all further bets and raises must be made at the higher level.

1. If you choose not to bet, then you are said to "check," or pass on the option to bet to the next player.
2. If a player bets, you may "call" the bet, "raise" or "fold".
3. If a player checks and another player makes a bet, the player who checked may in turn raise the bet made by the other player. This is called a "check & raise".

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the fourth card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "Fourth street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deal to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table will deal each player one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest three-card value. Starting with fourth street, and continuing through all further streets, all bets and raises in fixed limit games are made at the higher limit.

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the fifth and final card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "Fifth street". The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deal to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table will deal each player one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest four-card value. On Fifth street, all bets and raises in fixed limit games are made at the higher limit.

Players that have won a pot do not have to show their cards if they were not called.

This means that if two or more players were playing and one player bets and the other player(s) fold, the player who has won the pot by default will not under any circumstances have their cards shown automatically. The winning players may choose to "show" or "don't show".

Players are required to show their cards if and only if they are the player who created the last action by betting or raising.

Please note: Players may set their play to "Muck Losing Hands" in the Menu>Settings. Muck Losing Hands - checked - will mean that any losing hand will automatically muck. Muck Losing Hands - unchecked - will mean that the player will be presented with the choice to muck or show when applicable.

Most commonly called "fixed" limit games, this type of game limit structure is by far the most common betting structure you will find. A fixed limit game is one in which each bet will remain consistent through several betting rounds and then change at some predetermined point in later rounds. All bets will remain equal to the posted table limit. For example, in a $5-10 Five-Card Stud game, the bets will be as follows.

In the early betting rounds, a bet and any raises must be exactly $5. In later betting rounds, such as the last round, a bet and any raises must be exactly $10.

1. Each bet in every betting round will be in strict compliance with a structured game.
2. If you choose not to bet, then you are said to "check," or pass on the option to bet to the next player.
3. If a player bets, you may "call" the bet or "fold."
4. If a player checks and another player makes a bet, the player who checked may then in turn raise the bet made by the other player. This is called a "check & raise."

The general poker rule is a "cap" of three raises allowed per betting round with three or more players. However, if there is a "heads up" situation whereby only two players remain in the game, then raises are unlimited.

• The opening round will be a force wager determined by the game limit. The player with the lowest "door card" is forced to wager the minimum or "complete" it to the lower limit of the game. This is not a raise in the traditional sense. The player is only "bringing up" the bet to its normal minimum.
• Third Street: The bet shall be the lower limit and all raises will be in the same increments only.

However, an exception occurs on Third Street when there is an open pair on the table. Any player may bet or raise the lower or higher limit of the game. This is called the "Third Street Rule."

• Fourth Street: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.
• Fifth Street: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.