A Beginners Guide to Stud Poker

Stud Poker is a variant of poker, where each player gets a mix of face-down and face-up cards. The cards are dealt in multiple betting rounds.

Anyone who wants to examine this poker variant must have a basic understanding of general poker rules and betting limits before starting to play Stud Poker. One can play no limit as well as pot limit games in the stud poker.

In Stud Poker, the player who bets first on each round, may change from round to round. It is usually the player whose face-up cards make the best hand for the game being played. The cards dealt face down to each individual player are called hole cards.

Betting proceeds after that in normal clockwise order.The number of betting rounds in a game influences how well the game plays with different betting structures.

Games with four or fewer betting rounds, such as five-card stud and Mississippi stud, play well with any structure, and are especially well suited to no limit and pot limit play. Games with more betting rounds are more suited to fixed limit or spread limit.

In the subsequent rounds, the rule changes and the person with the maximum value cards start betting. Later betting rounds usually have higher limits than earlier ones.

Another common rule is to allow the larger bet on the second round if there is an open pair, meaning at least one player's upcards make a pair. Some casinos, especially in the United States use the smaller limit on the first three rounds rather than just the first two.

It is quite common in stud poker to name the betting rounds after the number of cards each player holds when that betting round begins. Following this logic, the bet that occurs when each player has three cards is called "third street" or "third card", and so on, for example the bet that occurs when each player has five cards is "fifth street". The final round is always called "river" or simply"end", regardless of the number of the previous betting rounds.

Stud poker itself has countless variants, the most popular ones include 3, 5, 6 and 7-card stud, London lowball, Mississippi, Mexican, Blind, Chicago, Dr Pepper, Cowpie, Auction and many more

Poker Practice Tips for Beginners

Online Poker has spread all over the Internet; it has earned its leading status in online gaming and online casino gaming, so it's well worth to get into the game a bit deeper to learn the craft properly

No doubt, there's big money to be won in online poker. However, it is not just a game of chance, players can actually be in control of their luck with skills and craft perfected through many hours of practice. There's deep strategy involved here. It pays to learn well the tricks and trade of the game before you start playing for real money.

In order to become a good player, one must spend a lot of time practicing the game, refining the skills and strategies. Memorizing the winning combinations and hoping for the best during the game, will not get anyone to the top. All players must remember that these skills cannot be learnt overnight. Leading players have perfected their poker for years and years, carefully playing and analyzing possibly hundreds of hands each day.

The best idea is to spend some time regularly with the game. That way the players will quickly experience a multitude of different situations and everyone will be able, with some dedication and effort, to craft their own individual playing styles. The emphasis here is on regularity. Spend some time every day with the game and your efforts will be rewarded. Do not skip a day. If you want to achieve results, make this a regular habit.

Best way to practice is using the free games provided by some websites. Players on any level can practice for as long as they wish, without risking any real money, thus learning the art and craft of online poker in a stress-free way, where they can simply concentrate on how to deal best with any upcoming situation.

Coupled with enough practice time, an online gamer’s interest in learning more of the trade will give him an edge later on. Poker will have to become a passion in the player's life. This mind-set will allow him to learn more than anybody does who plays without any interest in learning the craft through time. And of course, no master in the game has 100% foresight of what their hand will bring them. It is safe to say that even for the most accomplished players, there’s always room for improvement.

People have a remarkable tendency of creating excuses and will do anything to justify his behavior, bad luck, or mistakes in every day life. No one hesitates to dish out excuses for their wrongdoings and failure to perform. This habit is nothing more than just a defense mechanism people use to try and maintain our confidence and self-esteem. This kind of attitude will have a negative effect on your Poker and on our bankroll.

Do not be afraid to make mistakes, and be prepared to learn from any of them. It is always easier to complain about bad luck, dismiss a hand as a bad beat, rather than trying to find out what caused the actual problem. This might take more effort, but it enhances the learning experience, and can only make the players more successful.

As Thomas Jefferson once said: "I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." Wise words.