Seven Card Stud has been the most popular poker variant for years in the United States and across the world, until the recent popularity growth of Texas Holdem.

In Seven Card Stud players receive three cards. Two cards are dealt face down and one card is dealt face up (also called holecards). This is called 3rd Street. The face up card is also know as the door card.
The player showing the lowest door card after the deal must make a bring-in that usually amounts two times the ante or make a bet higher than that.
To determine the forced bring-in, ties in rank are broken by suit, with the order being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (in descending order).

Players sitting to the left of the bring-in then have the option of folding, calling or raising the bet. After the bring-in is made action continuous clockwise until betting is completed for the round.

4th Street – 6th Street

Then the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th cards are dealt to each player and another betting round starts after each card dealt. Each betting round, each player gets another card face up. If any player shows a pair on 4th street it is possible to bet or raise double the limit. A maximum of three raises is allowed, no matter the size of each raise. The player showing the highest hand on the board is first to act in each round.

7th street

The final card on 7th street is dealt face down. This brings a total of seven cards per person, 3 cards face down and 4 cards face up.
If no more betting takes place there is a showdown to determine the winner. The best possible five card poker hand wins the pot (kickers count). If two or more players show the same hand they split the pot.