Online Poker » Dealers Choice Games » 7 Card Stud No Peek

7 Card Stud is one of the oldest poker variants. Until Texas Hold'em rose to prominence, it was the most popular poker variant played in the United States. Unlike Hold'em, 7 Card Stud usually involves antes instead of blinds. Antes are forced bets that all players must place before the cards are dealt. The size of the antes usually depends on the limits set for the game. There are multiple variations of 7 Card Stud. One popular version, generally played in home games, is called 7 Card Stud No Peek.

7 Card Stud Game Play

After the antes are placed, three cards are dealt to players - two face down and one up. This is called third street. The player with the lowest card showing makes the first bet. After that round of bets, one more card is dealt face up. The player with the lowest hand then starts that round of betting. Then there is another card dealt face up and another round of betting. A sixth card is dealt face up and there is one more round of betting. The final round is called the river and all players are dealt their seventh card face down. There is one more round of betting and cards are shown. You win by making the best five-card hand.

7 Card Stud No Peek Rules

In 7 Card Stud No Peek you are dealt seven cards. There is a betting round between each dealt card and you try to make the best five card hand. However, the similarities between 7 Card Stud No Peek and normal 7 Card Stud end there. In No Peek, all of your cards are dealt facedown and you are not allowed to look at them before you bet. This virtually eliminates bluffing from game play.

All seven cards are dealt at once. The first player turns over the first card of his seven. He can then bet or not bet on that card. Betting goes around the table. Then the second player flips his first card. If that card cannot beat the first player's card, the player must continue flipping until it beats that card. Betting begins once the second player has beaten the first player. Each player then takes turns flipping cards trying to beat the previous person's hand. All bets are made after a person has flipped their card. This makes it difficult for players to determine what they should bet because the rest of the players have not seen their next card yet. If you flip over all of your cards and have not beaten the previous player, you have a dead hand and you can no longer bet.

A hand in 7 Card Stud No Peek ends when all but one player has flipped over all of his or her cards. There is one more round of betting and then the last player flips his card. The person with the best five-card hand wins the pot. The deal then moves to the left and play continues.