How to Play Stud 8 or
Better Poker
To learn how to play any kind of poker, you need to first
learn the basic poker
hand rank rules.
Seven Card Stud 8 or better is a popular, well-known form
of poker. It is played with upto eight players at the table.
The Game:
Before the start of the game, internally the EmpirePoker
system generates a fresh deck of cards for the hand. On EmpirePoker,
we use a single deck of cards to play a hand of poker, where
a deck refers to 52 cards excluding the jokers. Online poker
rooms use what is called the Random Number Generator (RNG)
to shuffle a deck of cards for the hand.
How does it work?
The system generates a random set of numbers, which are used
to place a card of the deck in a particular position. Once
the complete deck is created, the deck is used for that particular
hand only.
We shuffle the deck of cards every time we start a hand,
and the random numbers previously generated are discarded
and new ones generated before the shuffle. The RNG code has
been successfully audited by iTech Labs, and its integrity
is verified daily. iTech Labs a leading independent tester
of gaming and wagering devices, to ensure that the games operate
correctly, are fair, their outcomes are not predictable and
that the system is reliable, resilient and otherwise up to
the highest standards of software integrity.
The First round:
A fresh table starts off with all the players posting the
“ante” (putting a predetermined amount in the
pot before the cards are dealt). This amount is based on the
size of the game. While the ante amount is not based on a
set rule, the same is decided upon by the prevailing game
trends. For e.g. the ante amount for a 1/2 table is 25 cents
while for a 3/6 table, it is 50 cents. A new game on an active
table starts with all the players at the table posting antes.
In Seven-card stud 8 or better 8 or better poker players
receive seven cards, three "down" cards and four
"up" cards.
After the antes have been placed each player is dealt three
cards (two "down" cards and one "up" card).
The "up" card is also known as the "door card"
or "Third Street". The lowest "up" card
must initiate the action with a "Bring-In" bet.
(If two or more players have the same lowest card, the person
who brings it in is determined by suit order progressing from
clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.)
Each player is allowed one bet and three raises in each betting
round. To continue to play, players must take an action from
what is displayed to them on each "street" or betting
round (unless they are all-in).
The Second Round:
After the first round of betting another card is dealt face-up
to each player that still remains in the pot (those who didn't
fold on "third street"). This is "Fourth Street"
(the second round of betting). From "Fourth Street"
on, the highest hand showing begins the action by checking
or betting. If a player makes a single bet, the other players
may call, raise the single bet or fold.
The Third Round:
Upon completion of the betting on "fourth street",
another card is dealt face-up to those who remain in the pot.
This is called "Fifth Street" (the third round of
betting - which doubles (the value of each bet is double of
what was available in the first two rounds) - and continues
at this amount for the remaining betting rounds). The highest
hand showing again starts the action by checking or betting.
The Fourth Round:
Upon the completion of betting on "fifth street",
another card is dealt face-up. This is "Sixth Street"
(fourth betting round).
The Fifth Round:
The final card is dealt down. The last card is also known
as the "River Card" or "Seventh Street"
(final round of betting).
Some standard rules
A maximum of four bets, which includes one bet, and three
raises are allowed for each betting round per player. To continue
to play, players must take an action from what is displayed
to them on each "street" or betting round (unless
they are all-in). The term cap is used to describe the final
raise in a round since betting is then capped and no one can
make another raise. Once capped, players will have the option
of calling or folding only. Folding can be done at any stage
of the game. The action of folding basically shows the player
cards being moved to the dealer. The player from then on would
not be considered as part of the game. He/she would not have
any rights over any pots created on the table.
Poker is typically played "table stakes", meaning
only the chips in play at the beginning of each hand may be
used throughout the hand. This means that the player cannot
get additional funds from the cashier while he is in the midst
of a game. The table stakes rule has an application called
the "All-In" rule, which states that a player cannot
be forced to forfeit a hand because the player does not have
enough chips to call a bet.
Exceptions to the value of betting in
each round:
A player who does not have enough chips to call a bet is
declared All-In. The player is eligible for the portion of
the pot to the point of his final wager. All further action
involving other players takes place in a "side pot",
which is unavailable to the player who has already gone All-In.
When a player goes All-in, the pot currently at the center
of the table, which has contributions from him/her as well,
is treated as the main pot, over which the All-in player has
rights. After the player goes all-in, all the new bets are
placed in a side pot, over which only the contributing players
have rights. The All-in player does not have any rights over
the side pot. The side pot is then given to the next winning
combination.
As this is a multi player game, the players are expected
to play within a set time frame, the actions during their
turn. On EmpirePoker we provide players with approximately
30 seconds to play with. Initially the player is given 10
seconds, after which there is a timer countdown, which is
displayed on the table for 20 seconds. The user goes all-in
if he has contributed some money to the pot; otherwise his
hand is folded in case he/she does not respond in time. The
system is intelligent in detecting if the player has got disconnected
or not. This means if a players gets disconnected and reconnects
back and he has some seconds left for his turn, then he is
given an additional 20 seconds to play his turn. But if the
player is not able to connect back to the table before the
time elapses, then the player goes All-in. All-in basically
means that the player is in the game, but would not be an
active player (placing any bets). Whatever pot is collected
till this time is referred as the main pot, and the all-in
player has rights (if he wins) to this pot only. After this
the money that is bet on the table is added to a side pot,
over which the all-in player does not have any rights (if
he wins).
Upon completion of the final round of betting, the best hand
wins the pot. (The pot may also be won by someone who bets
without being called at any time during the hand.). Your "hand"
is determined by using the best five of seven cards. A combination
of the following may be used - Ø Five cards from the
seven dealt to you Ø One board (community) card and
four of the cards dealt to you. There is no qualifying on
the "High" side - the best hand automatically wins
half the pot and could win the whole pot. To win the "Low"
side, however, you have to qualify (which is why the game
is called Seven Card Stud "8 or Better"). To qualify
for Low: It takes a five-card hand with different numerical
values from Ace through eight (with the Ace being the lowest
value) to qualify for the "Low" half of the pot.
The best "Low" hand is A,2,3,4,5 (also known as
the "wheel" or "bicycle"). The winning
"Low" hand is the one with the lowest high card
in it. If two or more players qualify for "Low"
but have the same highest card, the second lowest high card
(and if necessary progressing down to the third, fourth, or
fifth lowest high card) would be the winning hand. For example,
a 2,3,4,6,8 would be a better "Low" hand than an
A,2,4,7,8.
There is a set rank of cards, which is used for deciding
the winning combination. To
view the various ranks that are possible, click here
Split Pot: Any leftover odd chip goes to the "High"
hand. If two or more players tie for the "High"
side of the pot and there is an odd chip, the player with
the highest card in their hand is awarded the odd chip. (If
they have the same high valued card, the suit takes preference
going from Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs.) If two or
more players "tie" for the "Low" side
of the pot and there is an odd chip, that chip is awarded
to the player with the lowest card in their hand. (If they
have the same lowest card, the suit takes preference in the
order of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades.)
Some things to Remember:
Straights and flushes do NOT count against you on the "Low"
side.
You may use any combination of cards for the "High"
hand or the "Low" hand or you may use the same cards
for both the "High" and "Low" sides.
If two or more hands are the same ranking, the winner is the
one having the higher cards. For example, a Flush with an
Ace high beats a Flush with a King high. If the poker hands
remain tied, then the highest card not being held in common
(the kicker) determines the winner.
The suit order of the cards is not taken into account while
deciding on the winning cards. EmpirePoker follow standard
rules of poker. Should poker hands be absolutely identical
in ranking, the rule of poker pot distribution will be split
evenly between the two or more winning players. If there is
an odd chip, the winning player to the left of the button/dealer
will receive it. This applies to both play money and poker
for real money.
For all the five rounds of betting, the house based on set
rules collects a commission, which is known as the rake in
poker terminology.
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