Perhaps one of the simplest poker games, Five-Card Stud involves each player receiving five cards, one face down and the remaining four face up. Players bet after receiving each card, with the highest-ranking hand winning the pot at the end of the process. This guide will explain how to play five-card stud including the rules, ranking of hands, betting and dealing processes.

While not as well-known as variations like Texas hold'em, five-card stud is quite popular as it is very easy to learn. The game is however not played at most large poker events, including the World Series of Poker. Seven-Card Stud, a similar game, is however a bit more prominent, working along the same theory, but with seven cards total, three down and two up.

As having four cards face up leaves little to the imagination, generally five-card stud hands end early, with few hands reaching the showdown after the fifth card is dealt. Along the same lines, with only five cards to work with and no opportunity to exchange cards, like in five-card draw, winning hands usually show lower-level ranks, like a single pair.http://www.pokersyte.com/five_card_stud.htm

The game can be played with two-to-ten players, a standard deck of 52 cards and some type of betting object, such as chips. To bring a little spice to the game, there are also several ways to vary the action, including adding jokers and changing which cards are dealt face up or face down.http://www.winneronline.com/rules/5cardstud.htm

As the game is fairly straight-forward and simple, many choose to add simple variations to the gameplay to make the play more interesting.

1. Rather than dealing one down card and four up cards, the last card can be dealt face down. Along the same lines, the first two cards can be dealt face down, with the final three dealt face up.http://www.winneronline.com/rules/5cardstud.htm
2. Two standard jokers can be added to the deck if desired, however the hand rankings will need to be altered as hands like five of a kind can be made.
3. Instead of the lowest face-up card making the first bet after the first deal, the person with the highest face-up card can open the betting. Similarly, the person to the left of the dealer, or the dealer button, can be forced to open the betting.http://www.winneronline.com/rules/5cardstud.htm
4. Instead of the highest-ranking hand winning the pot, a hi-lo version can split the pot between the highest and lowest ranking hands. To determine the lowest ranking hand, an Ace-five low method of rankings hands is used.http://www.mtaonline.net/~chilcoot/poker/5stud.htm
5. Pistol stud includes adding an additional round of betting after the first down card is dealt and before the first up card is dealt.http://www.mtaonline.net/~chilcoot/poker/5stud.htm
6. The Five-card Ronnie variation allows each player who reaches the end of the hand paying a nominal amount of chips to receive a sixth card. Players then use five of their six cards to make the highest-ranking hand.http://www.mtaonline.net/~chilcoot/poker/5stud.htm

Before you attempt to play five-card stud, it's highly recommended that you learn all of the rules, as well as the ranking of hands.

1. Games may be played with as few as two and as many as 10 players.
2. Aces can be played high or low, including in straights.
3. Players may raise the pot up to three times per round of betting.
4. Games can be played with any limit options desired, including limit, no limit and pot limit. Players will need to agree on a limit before starting the game.
5. Cards are always dealt clockwise, with the person who receives the first card moving one seat clockwise per hand.
6. Betting stakes can range from pennies to hundreds of dollars. Again each player will need to agree on the stakes before the game is started. Stakes can be raised at certain intervals throughout the game if desired.
7. After each player is dealt two cards, the person with the lowest face-up card is forced to open the betting. Should two players tie for the lowest card, suits will be ranked to break a tie, with spades being the highest, followed by hearts, diamonds and clubs.http://www.pokersyte.com/five_card_stud.htm
8. Hands are ranked in the standard method of hand rankings as listed below.

After everyone knows the rules and hand rankings, agrees on the limits, stakes and variations, if desired, it's time to get playing!

1. Each player offers up an ante to join the hand. This is a small amount, much less than the minimum bid. For a $2/$4 game, the ante could be 25 or 50 cents.
2. Starting with the first player to the left of the dealer or dealer button, each player is dealt one face-down card, followed by one face-up card.
3. The player with the lowest face-up card is forced to open the bid, in a process known as the bring-in. Each additional player, moving clockwise, can call the bet, raise or fold.
4. Players receive another face-up card, known as third street. Betting follows again, with the option to bet, check, call, raise or fold.
5. Fourth street follows with each player receiving another face-up card. Again players can bet, check, raise, call or fold.
6. A fifth and final card, fifth street, is dealt, also face up. Players are allowed to bet one final time, again with the option to check, bet, raise, call and fold.
7. The players remaining in the hand flip their down card up. The dealer examines the hands, awarding the pot to the highest-ranking hand.
8. Cards are shuffled and the process is repeated again.http://www.pokersyte.com/five_card_stud.htm