In Germany, 7-card stud is a very popular poker game next to Texas HoldEm. However, 7-card stud rules are different than those of holdem, so if you intend to play this game, you do need to learn these rules. In Seven Card Stud, each player has to ante. This means that each player has to pay an amount of money into the pot in order to receive any cards. The size of the ante is decided upon before the game starts and usually depends on the stakes in the game. This is the case in German poker games, just as it is in US poker games.



After each player has paid the ante, the dealer deals each player three cards. Two of these are face down and the third card is face up so that all the players have an idea of what each one has. The player that has the lowest ranked card showing is the first one to place a bet based on this card and the other two. At this point some players may fold rather than place a bet if they feel their cards are not worth playing.

Once all the players remaining have placed their bets, the dealer deals another face up card to each player. Then there is another round of betting, but this time the player that starts the betting is the one that shows the highest ranked hand. He/She can decide to place a bet or check, which means the player is not going to bet at this time, but does have the option to bet or raise later in the round.

In the fifth and sixth rounds of this popular German poker game, each player receives an additional face up card. A round of betting ensues after each card is dealt, with the player showing the highest hand being the first to place a bet. The seventh card is your last card and the dealer will give this to you face down. Now you have three cards that only you can see and four cards that all the other players can see. You have to make a winning combination of five cards from these seven cards.

In 7-card stud, you have a pretty good idea of what the other players have because you can see four of the cards. However, it is possible for you to have four cards showing that on their own are not really any good and have two three really good cards that the others can't see. For example, you could only have one pair showing, but you could have the other pair in your hand, which gives you a winning hand with four of a kind.

Unlike Texas HoldEm and Omaha poker, you don't share any community cards with your opponents, so you can concentrate on what you have before you. It is also easier to determine whether you stay in the game and continue betting when you can see a portion of what the other players have. It is safe to assume that a player showing garbage cards and keeps bidding does have something good in the hole cards, but there is also the possibility he/she may be bluffing.