Stud Poker Variations: Six Card Stud
Stud poker variations are numerous, and, arguably, Five-card stud or Seven-card stud are the most popular variations. However Six-card stud has a large following even in the shadow of its more famous cousins.
Six-card stud is played similar to Seven-card stud. That means, as the game progresses, we get two cards dealt face down, three dealt face up and the final one is face down. Some variations exist with the pattern, but for the most part, that’s how we play the game.
The object of Six-card stud is to make the best five-card hand with six cards. Many players enjoy the game for this reason. Having an extra card gives you an “out” if your hand building strategy doesn’t work. Having that extra jack will be nice if you didn’t get the cards you need.
The game starts with an ante, then two face-down, and one face-up card. Then a round of betting follows, then two more face-up’s, with a round of betting. The final face-down card is handed out before the showdown. And again, you make your “five best” out of the six showing.
Even though it’s only one more card, this is a much harder game to predict than Five-card stud. The “three up, three down” nature of the game makes hiding a good hand very possible. That deuce looks so harmless just sitting there… until it’s paired with three others from the hidden cards (yikes!) Or, another example is pulling out a straight or a flush from seemingly nothing. Add in a joker or a wild card, and you really have a fast and loose game that can vary wildly.
Sometimes, players play a “hi-lo” variation of the game, with the pot getting split between two players. The remaining players with the highest hand and the lowest hand will win (so stay in if you have a bad hand!) Usually, the high hand needs to at least have a pair. If this doesn’t happen, then the low hand gets all the winnings. In addition, most hi-lo games will require that the low hand must have at least a nine-down. This is called having a qualifier. If the low hand doesn’t have a nine-down or lower, then the winnings will be given to the player with the high hand (even if they didn’t have a pair.)
Enjoy these poker variations of Six-card stud on your next trip to the poker table. As always, have fun, and bet smart!!
