How to Play Stud Poker
The Game
Stud Poker is a card game similar to standard five card stud Poker, but with a twist. The main objective is to receive a better hand than the dealer's. The better your hand, the bigger your winnings. And by betting the "drop slot," you have the chance to win thousands on a single hand!
To play, you must first ante in. You may choose an ante amount between the minimum and maximum amounts that appear on the table. As you ante in, you may also choose to drop a dollar into the drop slot. Dropping a dollar qualifies you to win a big bonus payout for receiving a flush or better hand. Then you and the dealer each receive five cards. Your cards are dealt face up; the dealer's are dealt face down. The dealer turns up one card.
At this point, you have an option. You can choose either to fold or to call. If you fold, you surrender your ante and the hand ends. To call, you must put down an additional bet equal to twice your ante.
If you decide to call, the dealer turns up the four face-down cards. To continue to the showdown, the dealer's hand must qualify. To qualify, the hand must be at least an ace high with a king. Any pair or better Poker hand qualifies. For example, if the dealer holds an ace, ten, eight and six of clubs and a deuce of hearts, the hand does not qualify. If instead the dealer holds an ace, king, eight and six of clubs and a deuce of hearts, the hand qualifies, because it contains an ace and a king.
If the dealer's hand does not qualify, you win even money on your ante bet, regardless of what you are holding, and your call bet is returned to you. If the dealer's hand qualifies, there is a showdown. If your hand is better than the dealer's hand, you win even money on your ante bet plus a multiple of your call bet. The better your hand, the bigger the multiple you win. The chart below shows the multiples.
| Hand |
Payoff |
| Royal Flush |
100:1 |
| Straight Flush |
50:1 |
| 4 of a Kind |
20:1 |
| Full House |
7:1 |
| Flush |
5:1 |
| Straight |
4:1 |
| 3 of a Kind |
3:1 |
| 2 Pair |
2:1 |
| 1 Pair |
1:1 |
If you play the drop slot, you open the door to bigger winnings. A hand of a flush or better pays out a big bonus amount, regardless of whether the dealer hand qualifies. The drop slot bet is your assurance of winning a big payout for a big hand in case that the dealer hand does not qualify. In our virtual casino, you receive your drop slot winnings as soon as your receive your cards. The chart below shows the drop slot payouts.
| Hand |
Payoff |
| Royal Flush |
$10,000 (Jackpot) |
| Straight Flush |
$1,000 (10% of Jackpot) |
| 4 of a Kind |
$500 |
| Full House |
%100 |
| Flush |
$75 |
Stud Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 cards (no jokers). The deck is shuffled before each hand.
Starting the Game
Once you have logged in to the casino, you may start a stud Poker game by clicking on the Table Poker menu, selecting Stud Poker, then selecting a table. The menu gives you a choice of tables based on the minimum/maximum ante bet. You may also play for fun.
Game Display
The game display consists of a table on which the cards are displayed. The top row of cards belongs to the house (dealer) and the bottom row of cards belongs to you. The following displays appear in a console at the bottom of the table:
| Ante |
Displays the amount of your ante bet. |
| Win |
Displays the result of the last hand. |
| Total Bet |
Displays the total amount you have wagered on the current hand. This is the ante plus the drop slot (if any) plus the call bet (if any). |
| Credits |
Displays your current account balance. |
Beneath the win, total bet and credits display appears a row of buttons. The buttons and their functions are:
| Fold |
Surrender your ante bet and end the hand. |
| Deal |
Accept the ante amount and begin the hand. |
| Call |
Increase your bet by twice the ante amount to continue the hand. |
| Exit |
Exit the game and return to the Casino Lobby. |
Placing a Bet
Before you start a hand, you must set the ante amount and decide whether to place a dollar in the drop slot. Buttons appear to the left and right of the ante amount for this purpose. Click a button to increase or decrease your ante amount. The ante amount is limited by the table minimum and maximum and by your available balance. To put a dollar into the drop slot, just click on the drop slot. The drop slot turns red to show that your dollar is inserted. You can remove your drop bet by clicking the drop slot again. Once you are satisfied with your bet, click the DEAL button to place your bet and start the hand.
Playing the Game
Based on your five cards and the one dealer card that is shown to you, you must decide whether to call or fold. Click the CALL button to call, or the FOLD button to fold. This is all you need to do. The game calculates the correct call bet amount and subtracts it from your credits.
Scoring
When the hand ends, any winnings you have received are displayed in the WIN box and added to your available credits. The dealer's five cards are exposed. When you move the cursor over the dealer's hand, the dealer's score ("three of a kind", for example) appears in the message box at the bottom of your browser. When you move the cursor over your hand, your score appears in the message box.
Exiting the Game
Click Exit to exit the game and return to the Casino Lobby. If a hand is in progress, please finish the hand before exiting the game.
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