Stud and Five-Card Poker

Stud Poker
In Stud Poker, each player is dealt one or more hole cards, face down. The remainder of his cards are dealt face up. The two most popular standard Stud Poker games are Five-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud. After each player is dealt at least one card face up (upcard), and after each subsequent deal, there is a betting interval before dealing is resumed. Stud Poker has cut into the popularity of Draw Poker because there are more betting rounds (and thus, bigger pots), and there is a fascination about seeing some of the opponents' cards and trying to fathom what the hole card or cards may be.

Five-Card Stud
Two to ten people may play, though the game is best for five to eight players. There is no ante in some Five-Card Stud games, but the players agree in advance on the minimum that must be bet.

The dealer gives each player one card face down, and then each one card face up. The player with the highest upcard makes the first bet of at least the agreed-on minimum. In any later betting interval, the first bettor and players after him may check, unless and until a bet is made.
The first bettor in each betting interval is the player with the highest card or the highest Poker combination showing. If two or more players are tied for highest, the one nearest the dealer's left is the first bettor.

Following the first betting interval, the dealer gives another card face up to each active player in rotation; there is another betting interval, another round of face-up cards to the remaining active players, another betting interval, and then a final round of face-up cards and a final betting interval. Thus, each active player who is still in the game at the last round will have one card face down and four cards face up.

If two or more players remain after the final betting interval, there is a showdown in which each player turns up his hole card. If a bet or raise goes uncalled in any betting interval by all the other remaining players, the pot is taken by the bettor.

A player who drops must immediately turn all of his cards face down.

It is the dealer's duty, after each round of cards is dealt, to designate the first bettor (as by saying, "First king bets," or "Pair of sixes bets"). Also, after the third and fourth face-up cards are dealt, the dealer should indicate holdings that may become straights or flushes, as by saying "Possible straight" or "Possible flush." A possible straight or flush in no way determines the first bettor, however, except that in some games players agree that a fourflush will beat a pair in the showdown, and in these games a fourflush showing in the final betting interval bets first against a pair showing.

In a very large game, if there are not enough cards left in the pack for a final round of dealing, the dealer may flash a card from the top of the pack (turn it face up on the table), and this card serves as the common fifth card for all the hands.

Source: US Playingcard.com