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When it comes to Poker games, Draw Poker is old school, 5-Card Stud is too
rare to speak of, but 7-Card Stud is alive and well. Texas Hold'Em gets all the
press and makes a better spectator game, but 7 Stud is the game of choice for
the hard-nut players.
Stud demands strategy and skill and it takes a lot of play to develop the
winner's edge. Top caliber players are few and far between but they have one
thing in common with the rookies: every player of the game is still learning,
even the masters.
 Stud games are defined by their betting limits. The low stakes starting
at $1-$5, or a seasoned player looking
for the cahllenge of
high limit or no limit action.
They deal one
card at a time around the table until each player has two pocket cards (face
down) and a single up (the "door" card).
At this point the dealer indicates which player will open the betting,
determined by the lowest door card. If there's a tie for low door, suit resolves
it: spades over hearts, followed by diamonds, and finally clubs is the
lowest.
Betting
Once the initial cards have been dealt, the game begins. At this point we've
got three cards on the table per player and that's called "Third
Street". Third Street
The player holding the lowest door card must "bring it in" by opening with a
bet equal to twice the ante ($2 in our example game). If the low door player
doesn't make this bet, they're forced to Fold and the opener passes to the
player on their left. The next player clockwise from the opener can Call by matching the opener,
Raise by betting the low betting limit ($10) or Fold. Throughout third street
all Bets and Raises are fixed at the low betting limit ($10).
Fourth Street
The dealer gives each player another open (up) card. Unlike third street, the
opener in the fourth and remaining streets is the high hand as determined by the
open cards. They may Check (Pass) or Bet. It they Bet it's at the low limit
($10) and that fixes all raises in this round to the same. If the high hand is an open pair, the opener can Bet at the upper limit ($20)
and this fixes all Raises in the round to the same.
Fifth and Sixth Street
Again, the card is dealt up and high hand opens. All Bets and Raises are at
the upper limit ($20). Seventh Street
The last card, called the "river", is another pocket card (face down). All
bets and raises are at the high limit ($20). Showdown
After the Bets and Raises have been resolved, the remaining players enter the
Showdown. The opener reveals his pocket cards. If a player wishes to compete
with this hand they too reveal their pocket cards, or they can yield and muck
out (Fold). At the casino it's the dealer's responsibility to call the winner, as
determined by the best 5-card hand under normal Poker rules. In online games,
the software will designate the winner and the pot will be passed to them.
It is any player's right to request to see any final hand that has been
mucked, though this is primarily intended for casino play.
Conclusion
It's true with all the Poker games, but never truer than with 7-Card Stud:
the rules are barely the beginning. It's the strategy and gaming skills that
make the game. 
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