Seven-card stud
A classic stud poker variant with seven cards per player.
Yagamichega · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seven-card stud, also known as Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River, is a variant of stud poker. Before the 2000s surge of popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was one of the most widely played poker variants in home games across the United States and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Although seven-card stud is not as common in casinos today, it is still played online.
- Players
- 2 to 8
Lore & Background
Seven-card stud is played with two to eight players, though eight may require special rules for the last cards dealt if no players fold.
Reader's Guide
Seven-card stud is the 'S' game in HORSE and similar mixed game formats. Its significance lies in its historical dominance before Texas hold 'em's rise, particularly in home games and eastern US casinos. The game's structure—two down, four up, one down—requires players to use visible cards to infer opponents' holdings and adjust strategy. Variants include Mississippi (four betting rounds), roll your own, Queens and after, Baseball, Chicago, Acey Ducey, and Razz. In Seven-Card Stud High-Low, the pot is split between the highest and lowest hand if the low hand is topped by at least an 8. The sample deal illustrates typical play: four players ante, a bring-in is forced, betting proceeds, and the best five-card hand from seven cards wins. The game appears in popular culture at the end of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire, where a character says 'This game is seven-card stud.'
Did You Know?
- Seven-card stud is also known as Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River.
- In casino play, a small ante and bring-in are common; in home games, only an ante is typical.
- If the deck is exhausted, the four previously dealt burn cards can be used.
- Razz is a lowball form of seven-card stud where the objective is to get the lowest hand possible.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Seven-card stud and what nicknames does it go by?
It is a classic stud poker variant in which each player receives seven cards total—one face-down hole card plus six face-up cards dealt over successive betting rounds. Gamblers also call it Seven-Toed Pete or Down-The-River, names that stuck in home-game circles for decades.
How many players can sit at a Seven-card stud table?
The rules accommodate anywhere from two to eight participants. That range makes it flexible for small private games as well as full casino tables.
How does Seven-card stud compare to Texas hold'em?
Before hold'em surged in popularity during the 2000s, seven-card stud was one of the most widely played poker variants in U.S. home games and in eastern casinos. Today it has lost much of its casino-floor presence but remains a standard option in online poker.
Where can I still play Seven-card stud in 2025?
Many brick-and-mortar casinos have trimmed their poker menus in favor of hold'em, so you are more likely to find the game on online poker platforms that keep a broader variant list. A handful of eastern U.S. casinos and private home-game circles still run it regularly.
Why do fans still care about Seven-card stud if it is less common now?
Veteran players often cite the face-up community of cards as giving the variant a more open, reading-heavy strategic feel compared to hold'em's two-card hole structure. That transparency keeps it a favorite for players who enjoy tracking opponents' likely hands round by round.
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