Winning a hand of 5-Card Stud is dependent on both the cards that Players are dealt, and the visible cards on the table. With four rounds of betting, it is a game that requires skill in being able to judge the strength of individual hands, finish with the best hand, and win the pot.

Place an ante on the table.

To play 5-Card Stud you must have enough chips to place an ante and a bet. The ante amount is set by the card room. There is usually no ante amount in low stakes games.

Each Player is dealt two cards, one pocket card and one visible card.

The Player with the lowest card showing must bring-in the betting.

In the second round, another visible card is dealt to all Players at the table. A round of betting follows. This process continues until each Player has one one pocket card and four visible cards.

After the last visible card is dealt to each Player, a final round of betting follows. The remaining Players display their pocket card. The highest hand wins.

• Watch your opponents' visible cards. You can see when you are on a losing hand. You can also see if any card that you need to complete a winning hand is already taken by another Player.