Almost every poker player most likely started out learning how to play 5 Card Stud and then moved on to other variations of the game. This is one of the simpler forms of poker, yet can still be every bit as difficult to master as the others unless you are fully aware of the basics first.

This version of poker is played with a single deck of cards and comprises a dealer and several players seated around the table. The game starts with the ante, or first bets that each player pays before a single card is dealt and is usually ten percent of the table’s limit. Then the first two cards are dealt starting from the dealer’s left, one face down, called the hole card and the other face up, called the open. The player who has the lowest ranked open starts the betting, or bring-in. The rest of the players place their bets going clockwise round the table.

A third open is dealt, called Third Street and a further round of betting ensues. This is followed by a fourth, called Fourth Street and a fifth, called the River. At each stage, players can either bet or fold, which means exiting the game early. Once the final stage or River is reached, the players remaining in the game go into a showdown where the final player to raise turns over their hole card and the others follow suit. The winner is the holder of the highest ranked hand.