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Five Card Stud and Its Variations

Having a poker party at your place? Want to have an edge over the other players? Do you want to show off your knowledge of the game? Or do you just want to have some plain old fun?

Playing poker is always fun. Playing poker with friends is even better because you get to have dealer's choice. You take turns in being the dealer. Being dealer can often be taxing but the main benefit of being dealer is that you get to call the shots.

Say your buddies are around four. That makes five players for a poker game. The best form of poker is of course, five card stud!

You're the dealer. It's dealer's choice. Your friends are looking at you, waiting for what you are about to announce. What are you going to play? Problem is that there is only one kind of five card stud that you know. You end up playing the same game and bore your friends. Well, that may be a little over the top but you get the point.

To avoid situations like that, it is best to familiarize yourself with the variations of five card stud.

In a regular five card stud game, the first card is dealt face down and the rest of the cards face up. Betting is done after the first face up card is given then every card dealt thereafter.

Five card stud, last card down is similar to this. However, instead of the fifth card being dealt face up, it is simply distributed by the dealer face down.

If you want to have a round with wild cards, try mexican stud. It is also called flip or peep and turn. The first two cards are dealt to the players face down. All the players take a look at their cards and choose one to be positioned face up. The remaining face down card or concealed card is now a wild card. A round of betting ensues before another card is dealt face down. The players take a look again at the face down cards then select one to be face up. The face down or concealed card is now their wild card. Another round of betting is placed. This goes on until all active players have four cards face up. Bets are placed then the players show their concealed cards and announce the value.

Take note that the wild cards are only applicable to the player's own cards. Same as cards with the same value as that wild card can also be used as a wild card.

For a little excitement, you may try the variation five card stud, last card optionally down. This is similar to the standard five card stud. However, the player has the option of turning up his hole card before the fifth card is dealt. The fifth card is now going to be dealt face down. This is optional. If one player opts to reveal his hole card, the other players need not follow suit.

Meanwhile, pistol or hole card stud adds a round of betting. The standard five card stud is done here. However, the first round of betting is immediately started after the first card is dealt. The dealer is the first to bet. Then it is the player with the high card who bets first in the following rounds.

Just like that, you now know four more variations to five card stud. Wow your buddies with this newfound knowledge. You don't have to play the usual game during your poker sessions. Mix it up a bit and everyone will definitely have fun.