Stud Poker Games

STUD POKER GAMES
These stud poker game variations are interesting, challenging and fun additions to your dealer's choice home poker game. In addition to explaining how to play each game, we provide exclusive insider playing tips on how to play and win many of these unique stud poker game variations. The descriptions and instructions we provide assume you are familiar with how to play stud poker and other basic poker games.

Most of the games described may be played as high-low split. Playing high-low split poker games introduces many additional factors that must be considered. See our High-Low Poker Guide for playing tips, hand odds or probabilities and much more information you will need to play high-low spilt poker games.

The Dealer's choice poker games on this page are based on stud poker, but there are lots of other games, too:

Draw Poker Games
Hold 'em Poker Games
Omaha Poker Games
Wild Card Poker Games
Other (non-poker) Games

If you ever want to know more about any of these games, please let us know via our Contact HPE page. Ask a question or share your own playing experiences. We enjoy hearing from our readers and will provide a personal response.

CROSSWALK STUD POKER
Deal each player 5 hole cards. 12 cards are placed face down on the table in the form of 4 columns of 3 cards/3 rows of 4 cards.
A1     B1     C1     D1
A2     B2     C2     D2
A3     B3     C3     D3
Reveal 1 card from each of the 4 columns (4 cards in total) at a time with a betting round between.
For example, reveal cards A1 B2 C3 D1. Then A2 B3 C1 D2. Then A3 B1 C2 D3.
Players make their final hand in 1 of 2 ways:
1.   2 hole cards and one complete column of 3 cards.
2. 1 hole card and one complete row of 4 cards.
Playing Tips for Crosswalk Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection and more.

CROSS ROAD STUD POKER
Deal each player 3 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 9 cards arranged in a cross shape with 5 vertical cards and 5 horizontal cards. To help you visualize the arrangement of these cards a diagram is included with Playing Tips. Players make their hand by selecting any five cards from among their hole cards plus the 5 cards in either the vertical row or horizontal row, so long as they use at least 1 hole card. Reveal the 4 outer cards, then the 4 inner cards and lastly the single middle card, with a round of betting between.
Playing tips for Cross Road Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

HOLD EM STUD POKER
Hold Em Stud poker combines elements of Texas Hold Em and stud pokers into a game of 8 card stud. Like stud, every player's hand includes up cards and down cards that are used solely by that player. Like Hold Em there are common cards that may be used by all players. Deal cards as follows and follow each with a round of betting:
   2 down cards to each player.
   1 up card to each player and 1 common board card.
   1 up card to each player and 1 common board card.
   1 up card to each player and 1 common board card.
Each player now has a total of 5 cards (2 down, 3 up) that may be used only by them. There are also 3 common board cards that may be used by all players. From these 3 common and 5 individual cards each player selects any 5 cards to make their hand.
Playing tips for Hold Em Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

ROLL 'EM HOLD 'EM STUD POKER
Roll 'Em Hold 'Em Stud poker combines elements of Texas Hold Em, stud poker and roll your own into a game of 8 card stud. Like stud, every player's hand includes both up cards and down cards that are used solely by that player. With Roll Your Own, each player can choose which cards to reveal and which to conceal. Like Hold Em there are common cards that may be used by all players.
Deal cards as described and follow each with a round of betting:
2 down cards to each player.
1 down card to each player. From their 3 down cards, each player chooses one card to expose as their first up card. Deal 1 common board card.
1 down card to each player. From their 3 down cards, each player chooses one card to expose as their 2nd up card. Deal 1 common board card.
1 down card to each player. From their 3 down cards, each player chooses one card to expose as their 3rd up card. Deal 1 common board card.
Each player now has a total of 5 cards (2 down, 3 up) that may be used only by them. There are also 3 common board cards that may be used by all players. From these 3 common and 5 individual cards each player selects any 5 cards to make their hand.
Playing Tips for Roll "Em Hold 'Em Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

HOUSE of COMMONS STUD POKER
House of Commons Stud poker is a version of 8 card stud. Every player's hand includes up cards and down cards that are used solely by that player. There are also common cards that may be used by all players. Deal cards as follows and follow each with a round of betting:
2 down cards to each player.
1 up card to each player and 1 common board card.
1 up card to each player and 1 common board card.
1 down card to each player and 1 common board card.
Each player now has a total of 5 cards (3 down, 2 up) that may be used only by them. There are also 3 common board cards that may be used by all players. From these 3 common and 5 individual cards each player selects any 5 cards to make their hand.
Playing Tips for House of Commons Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

COW PIE STUD POKER
A split pot version of 7 card stud. Deal, play and bet exactly like 7 card stud. At the completion of 7th street betting, each player re-arranges their cards into 2 separate hands. One is a regulation 5 card poker hand. The other is a 2 card poker hand. Up cards must remain up and down cards must remain down. In arranging the 2 hands, these important requirements must be met: The 5 card hand must out rank the 2 card hand and each hand must include at least one down card. Once so arranged, there is a final round of betting. The hands are revealed and the pot is split between the highest 5 card hand and the highest 2 card hand. The 2 card hands are ranked as high card(s) and pairs only. If a player misplays his hand by creating a 2 card hand that is better than his 5 card hand, both hands are disqualified.
Playing tips for Cow Pie Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

2 OUT OF 3 STUD POKER
Standard 7 card stud, but to win the pot a player must have at least 2 of the following 3 qualifiers:
1. The highest spade in the hole. (Ace is highest card.)
2. The lowest spade in the hole. (Deuce is lowest card.)
3. The best poker hand.
If no single player has 2 of the above qualifiers, the game is played again.
Playing tips for 2 Out of 3 Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

2 BY 4 STUD POKER
Standard high-low 7 card stud, but to win the pot a player must have at least 2 of the following 4 requirements:
1. The highest spade in the hole. (Ace plays as highest card.)
2. The lowest spade in the hole. (Deuce plays as lowest card.)
3. The best high poker hand.
4. The best low poker hand.
It is recommended to play 2 by 4 stud under 5432A low hand rules.
If no single player has at least 2 of the above qualifiers, the game is played again.
Playing Tips for 2 by 4 Stud Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

7 CARD STUD - HIGH-LOW 8 OR BETTER
Played exactly like 7 card stud. The variation is that it is played high-low split. The "8 or better" refers to the low hand, which must be 5 unmatched cards each of rank 8 or below. If no one has a qualifying low hand the entire pot goes to the high hand.
Many high-low split games can be played "8 or better". Sometimes players forget this important qualification. Make sure the low hand is always shown and meets this requirement

HIGH CHICAGO
Played exactly like 7 card stud. In High Chicago the highest spade that is one of a player's hole cards (not exposed card) splits the pot with the highest poker hand. If no player has a spade as a hole card, the highest hand wins the entire pot.
Playing tips for High Chicago Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

LOW CHICAGO
Played exactly like 7 card stud. In Low Chicago the lowest spade that is one of a player's hole cards (not exposed card) splits the pot with the highest poker hand. If no player has a spade as a hole card, the lowest hand wins the entire pot.
Playing tips for Low Chicago Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

DRAFT STUD POKER
7 card stud. The first 3 cards (2 down, 1 up) are dealt in the usual manner. The variation occurs on 4th, 5th and 6th streets. For each of these the same number of cards as there are remaining players are dealt face up on the table. The player with the lowest hand at that time is first to select his card from among those cards. Players select in order from lowest/worst to highest/best hand. 7th street is dealt as a down card in the usual manner. This variation should only be played for high hand, not high-low. The reason for this is that the lowest card on 3rd street will get the first pick. All they will have to do from then on is pick the lowest card round after round and virtually guarantee themselves the winning low hand.

SOCIALIST STUD POKER
Version of 7 card stud where the rich must give to the poor. Deal and play exactly like 7 card stud. The difference occurs when up cards are dealt on 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th street. For each of those 4 rounds the players dealt the highest and lowest cards exchange them. The player with the high card takes the low card; the player with the low card takes the high card. The cards considered for exchange are only the cards dealt on that specific street. Cards dealt on previous streets are safe and not considered for exchange. For example, during the 4th street exchange cards dealt on 3rd street are not exchanged, etc. If there are multiple players with either the same highest or lowest card there is no exchange. Additionally, in any round where an exchange is made, each player must place an additional ante in the pot.
When played high only, the ace is the highest card.
When played high-low split, the ace is either the highest or lowest card. A player with an ace has the opportunity to designate it as either high and exchange it with the lowest card. Or, the ace may be designated low and exchanged for the highest card. Designating the ace high or low is only for exchange purposes. In the final hand it can be used any way the player wishes.

HEART TRANSPLANT
7 Card stud. Any time a player is dealt a card from the heart suit as an up card, that player may choose to take any card (an up or down card) from any other player. If it is an up card, it remains up; if down it remains down. The player who loses a card is dealt a replacement card as a down card.

PINEAPPLE STUD POKER
7 card stud. To start the game deal 4 cards face down to each player. From these 4 cards each player selects 1 card as their first up card, 2 as hole cards, 1 card to discard. Play then proceeds as usual for 7 card stud. Best played with 7 or fewer players.

The "Pineapple Principle" can be applied to just about any version of stud. Just make the obvious modifications to fit the game. For example, to use it with 5 card stud make an initial deal of 3 down cards. 1 is kept as the hole card, 1 as the first up card and 1 is discarded

7 CARD STUD - NO PEEK
Each player is initially dealt 7 cards all of which are dealt down. NO player is allowed to look at any of their cards, they must keep them face down in a pile in front of them. The player to the dealer's left turns over one card. There is a round of betting. The next player turns over his cards one by one until he has a higher hand. This is followed by another betting round. This continues with every player turning over his cards until he either runs out of cards or has the highest hand exposed on the board

CRISS-CROSS POKER
Each player is dealt 4 hole cards. Place 5 cards face down on the table with 1 vertical row of 3 cards, and one card placed on either side of the middle card to form a horizontal row of 3 cards. Players select any 5 cards from among their 4 hole cards plus the 3 cards in either the vertical row or the horizontal row to make their hand. Each down card is exposed after a round of betting, with the middle card exposed last.
Playing tips for Criss-Cross Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds, additional playing variations and more.

ELEVATOR POKER
Each player is dealt 4 hole cards. The common board cards consist of 2 vertical columns of 3 cards each. A single "elevator" card is placed between the 2 vertical columns. Reveal one entire column, then the other and finally the single elevator card, with betting rounds between. Players may use any 2 cards in a horizontal row, plus the elevator card (ie 3 cards in total from the board). That is: both top cards, both middle cards or both bottom cards, plus the elevator card. (ie. the elevator card "moves" up or down to whatever horizontal row you wish.) Vertical or diagonal cards may not be used. Hands are made from the best 5 of 7 cards (4 hole and 3 board).
Playing tips for Elevator Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

UP and DOWN ESCALATORS
Each player is dealt 4 hole cards. The common board cards consist of 3 vertical columns of 3 cards each. There are also 2 "escalator" cards. One is placed between the 1st and 2nd vertical columns. The other is placed between the 2nd and 3rd columns. Reveal the 1st entire column, then the 3rd column, then the 2nd column. Finally reveal both "escalator" cards at once. There are betting rounds between. Players have 2 options to make their hand:
1. Using columns 1 and 2 they may choose any 2 cards that appear at the same horizontal level, plus the escalator card located between the columns (ie 3 cards in total from the board). That is: both top cards, both middle cards or both bottom cards, plus the escalator card. (ie. the escalator card "moves" up or down to whatever horizontal level you wish.)
2. Using columns 2 and 3 they may choose any 2 cards that appear at the same horizontal level, plus the escalator card located between the columns (ie 3 cards in total from the board). That is: both top cards, both middle cards or both bottom cards, plus the escalator card. (ie. the escalator card "moves" up or down to whatever horizontal level you wish.)
Hands are made from any combination of 5 cards from the 7 cards (4 hole and 3 on board) available. Vertical or diagonal cards may not be used.
Playing Tips for Up & Down Escalator Poker: Includes card arrangement diagram, detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds an more.

HEX POKER
"Hex" as in hexagonal. Each player is dealt 4 hole cards. Six cards are placed face down on the table in a hexagon shape. 2 cards are revealed at a time in this order (starting with 1 at the top): 1&3, 4&6, 2&5. Players make their hand by choosing from any 3 consecutive board cards (ie. 123, 234, 345, 456, 561, 612) along with their 4 hole cards.
Playing tips for Hex Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

PYRAMID STEPS POKER
Deal each player 4 hole cards. The board cards consist of 6 cards arranged in the shape of a pyramid of 3 horizontal steps or rows. The bottom row has 3 cards, the middle 2 cards and at the top is a single card. Players make their hand in one of 3 ways: Using all 3 cards in the bottom row plus 2 hole cards, using the 2 cards in the middle row plus 3 hole cards, or using the single card in the top row plus all 4 hole cards. Reveal the single top card first, the middle two next, and the bottom 3 last, with a round of betting between.
Playing tips for Pyramid Steps Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

ROCK-LEIGH (ROCK-LEE)
Players are dealt 4 hole cards. Four sets of two board cards are placed face down on the table. One entire set is revealed after each round of betting. Players make their hands by using 3 or 4 hole cards PLUS 1 or both cards of one of the sets.
Playing tips for Rock-Leigh Poker. Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

CINCINNATI
Deal each player 5 hole cards and follow with a round of betting. Place 4 cards face down on board. Reveal one board card at a time followed by a round of betting. Players may use any combination of 5 cards from their 5 hole cards and the 4 board cards.

RAZZ
Razz is 7 card stud played for low only. Best hand is 5432A. Straights or flushes do not disqualify a hand. The low hand on the board begins each betting round.

NOSTRADAMUS STUD POKER
Nostradamus Stud can be played as 5, 6 or 7 card stud. Before being dealt their up cards, each player predicts the rank of the card they are about to be dealt. If their guess is correct they receive an extra down card which is dealt to them immediately. Additionally, all the other live players in the hand must add a single bet to the pot.

CRAZY NOSTRADAMUS STUD POKER
Crazy Nostradamus Stud can be played as 5, 6 or 7 card stud. Before receiving each of their up cards, every player predicts both the rank and suit of the card they are about to receive.
If they correctly predict the suit of the card they receive an additional up card but must pay 1 bet to the pot.
If they correctly predict the rank of the card they receive an extra down card for free.
If they correctly predict both the rank and suit of the card they receive both 1 extra down card and 1 extra up card, both for free. Additionally, all the other live players in the hand must add 1 bet to the pot.
If the card received is neither the color (red/black) nor rank of the card predicted, the player must add a single bet to the pot.

5 CARD STUD WITH REPLACEMENT
Played exactly like 5 card stud. However, after all the cards have been dealt each player has an option to exchange or replace one of his cards for a pre-set fee. (You may set the fee at any price you wish, but don't make it too cheap or too expensive. About 5-10 times the ante seems right.)
If an exposed (up) card is exchanged, the replacement card is dealt exposed. If a hole (down) card is exchanged, the replacement is dealt face down. Replacement options are offered 1 player at a time starting from the left of the dealer. If the replacement option is originally declined it can not be taken later. Replacement is an option, no player is required to do so.

AUCTION STUD POKER
A version of 5 card stud. Deal 1 card down to each player. For each of the remaining 4 rounds deal face up on the table 1 card for each player in the hand at that point. Each player will select one of these cards based on an auction. Players bid on the order in which they select their card. Bids may be from 0 to 5 bets. Each player places the chip value of their bid in their hand and reveal simultaneously. The player who makes the highest bid is first to select a card, the 2nd highest bid selects next, and so on. If more than 1 player bids the same amount, the closest to the dealer's left gets the first choice in the 1st & 3rd auction. The player closest to the dealer's right gets first choice in the 2nd & 4th auction. All bids are added to the pot. There is a round of betting between each auction round. Recommended to be played high-low split

GIVE OR TAKE STUD POKER
Version of 5 card stud. Deal first card face down to each player as usual. For the next 4 up cards each player is given a choice. Start each round of cards by dealing 1 card face up on table. The next player due to be dealt a card has the option of selecting that card as his up card or, for a fee, receiving the next unseen card from the top of the deck. If he selects the exposed card, another card is dealt face up on the table to replace it and the next player in rotation has the same options for choosing the card he/she wants. If a player passes on the exposed card and takes his next card off the deck, the exposed card remains for the following player to choose from. Once a complete round of cards has been selected the remaining exposed card is mucked. Each round of card selection starts fresh. As usual, betting occurs between each round of card selection.
A fee (eg. 1-4 bets) should be charged whenever a player passes on the exposed card and chooses the card from the deck.

JACKS BACK STUD HIGH-LOW STUD
A version of 5 card stud. Played as high-low split with hand qualifying requirements for both the high and low. The minimum hand needed to win high is a pair of jacks. The low hand must be jack high or lower (i.e. 5 unpaired cards with no card higher than jack). Lowest possible hand is 5432A and straights and flushes do not disqualify the low hand, so a low straight or flush could scoop the entire pot. If there is a qualifying hand in one direction, but not the other, the single qualifying hand wins the entire pot. If no player has a qualifying hand, the game is re-played, but only with those players who stayed in the previous hand to the end.

PICK & ROLL STUD POKER
A version of 5 card stud. Start by dealing each player 2 hole cards face down. Now, deal 1 card face down on the table and 1 card face up. Each player in turn now has to make 1 of 3 choices:
1. They may exchange one of their hole cards for the exposed board card. The board card is now the player's 1st up card. The player exposes 1 of his 2 down hole cards and this card becomes the exposed board card that can be selected by the next player. A fee of 2 minimum bets is charged whenever a player chooses this option.
2. They may exchange one of their hole cards for the unexposed board card. The player exchanges 1 of his 2 down hole cards and this card becomes the unexposed board card that can be selected by the next player. The player must select either this card or his remaining hole card to expose as his 1st up card. A fee of 1 minimum bet is charged whenever a player chooses this option.
3. They may expose 1 of their 2 hole cards as their 1st up card. This option has no fee.
A round of betting occurs after all players have made their choice.
For each of the next 3 rounds each remaining player is dealt 1 card down. Again, in turn, they must make one of the 3 choices. At the completion of each round a player exposes 1 card so that by the end each active player is showing 4 cards and has 1 down hole card.

6 CARD STUD POKER
Best 5 card hand out of 6 available cards. Betting starts when receiving the first up card. Two dealing options:
1. Deal first card down, next 4 cards up and last card down. There are 5 rounds of betting when dealing this way.
2. Deal first two cards down, next 4 cards up. There are 4 rounds of betting when dealing this way.

3 CARD DROP - LONG VERSION
A three card poker game played for high only. Each player is dealt 3 down cards. There is an initial ante, but no further betting. There is no draw; there are no common cards. Best 3 card hand wins with this ranking: high card, pair, flush, straight, trips, straight flush. (Why is straight ranked higher than flush? See the probabilities of 3 card poker.) After receiving and looking at cards each player must decide if they wish to drop out or stay in game. This is done by all players simultaneously declaring play or drop by means of chips: no chip in hand = drop. One chip in hand = play. Here is what happens after declaration:
When only 1 player declares play that player wins the entire pot and the game is over.
If all players drop out there is no winner. All players ante again and the game is replayed.
If more than 1 player declares play there is a showdown. The highest hand wins the pot. However, the game does not end. Each loser must now fund a new pot by paying in an amount of chips equal to the pot that was just won. Additionally, each player must re-ante. A new hand is dealt to compete for this new pot.
The key elements to 3 card drop is that the game can not end until only one player declares "play" and that the game keeps repeating and the pot keeps increasing until that happens. There is the potential to create huge pots and win or lose sums well beyond your normal limits or expectations and comfort level. There is also the potential create a lot of tension and ill-will between players when a losing player must pay an unusually large sum into a pot. This is not a game for the faint of heart. You can limit the pots by reducing the additional antes to a fraction of the initial ante, stopping re-antes altogether after a few rounds and by exempting a loser from also having to make a re-ante. You may also wish to place a maximum cap on the amount losers must pay.
Playing tips for 3 Card Drop Poker (all versions). Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, hand rankings, starting hand selection, hand odds and more.

3 CARD DROP - SHORT VERSION
This version of 3 card drop will result in a quicker game, smaller pots and reduced likelihood that it will cost the loser(s) a lot of money. As in the long version, when only 1 player declares "play" they win the entire pot and when no one declares "play" the players re-ante and play again. However, when more than 1 player declares "play" the winner takes the pot plus each loser must match the pot and pay it to the winner. The game then ends.

3 CARD DROP with GHOST HAND
Play exactly like 3 card drop, but deal an additional hand to a "ghost" player. The "ghost" hand is only revealed when just one player declares "play". When that occurs, the "ghost" hand is exposed. The "play" player's hand must beat the ghost hand in order to win to pot. If it does not, that player must pay the pot and the game continues.

TRAIN WRECK STUD POKER
Deal 5 hole cards to each player. Place 3 horizontal rows of 4 cards each face down on the table. Players will use any combination of their hole cards plus the cards in either the middle or bottom row (the play rows) to make their hand. The top row is referred to as the muck row. As each card is revealed in the muck row, any player holding the same ranked card(s) in their hand must discard it. For example, if you hold a pair of sixes as hole cards and a six appears in the muck row, you must immediately discard them. Likewise, any card appearing in the other 2 rows that matches a card in the muck row must also be removed from play. At the showdown, should a player still possess a card that should have been mucked, their entire hand is dead. Start with a round of betting, then reveal 1 card from each of the 3 horizontal rows. Continue with bet, then reveal (1 card from each row per round) until all the board cards are exposed.
Muck Row 1 2 3 4
Play Row A X X X X
Play Row B Y Y Y Y

Playing Tips for Train Wreck Stud Poker: Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, starting hand selection, optional rules of play and more.

TRAIN WRECK LIGHT
Deal 4 hole cards to each player. Place 3 horizontal rows of 5 cards each face down on the table. Players will use any combination of their hole cards plus the cards in either the middle or bottom row (the play rows) to make their hand. The top row is referred to as the muck row. As each card is revealed in the muck row, any player holding the same ranked card(s) in their hand must discard it. For example, if you hold a king as a hole card and a king appears in the muck row, you must immediately discard it. Likewise, any card appearing in the other 2 rows that matches a card in the muck row must also be removed from play. At the showdown, should a player still possess a card that should have been mucked, their entire hand is dead. Start by revealing 1 card from each of the 3 horizontal rows, followed by a round of betting. Continue by revealing 1 card from each row per round followed by betting.
Muck Row 1 2 3 4 5
Play Row A X X X X X
Play Row B Y Y Y Y Y

TRAIN WRECKED
Train Wrecked is played exactly as described above as Train Wreck or Train Wreck Light, but with this added rule: Should a player end up mucking all of his hole cards, that player immediately wins the entire pot.

DRAW POKER GAMES

HOLD 'EM POKER GAMES

OMAHA POKER GAMES

WILD CARD POKER GAMES