Five-card stud is the original stud poker game, which later developed dozens of variations. It is very similar to 7 Card Stud, and played by the same rules (but with up to 10 players). The difference is that only one card is dealt face down to each player; there are 2nd, 3rd and 4th streets, plus the River

To understand the basic rules of the game, you can refer to the page on 7 Card Stud, noting the abovementioned exceptions. We have outlined a sample game below, to help you get started.

Each player begins with two cards, one facing up and one facing down.

The person sitting to the dealer's left begins. If the game is being played with a bring-in, this is done by the person with the lowest face-up card. A bring-in is a forced bet that is common in stud games. It's different from an ante because it only requires one person and because it counts as a bet for the opening round. If playing without a bring-in, the game begins with a check made by the person holding the highest face-up card. If there is a tie in ranking between two face-up cards, the person sitting closest (clockwise) to the dealer should proceed.

When the first round is over, players are dealt another face up card. Whoever has the highest ranking hand with their two face-up cards places their bet first. Whoever goes first can choose to either bet up to the limit or check.

This exact sequence continues on the third and fourth betting rounds, until showdown. Often times the game ends before reaching showdown, because no further calls will be made.

Although Five-card stud was a major event in the early 1970's, it was dropped out of the offering in 1975 and hasn't been brought back since. Despite its absence from the WSOP, it is still regularly played outside of competition.