Before Texas Hold'em took over as the nation's most popular poker game, Seven Card Stud ruled the land. Seven Card Stud is still an enormously popular version of poker in Europe, and you can find it played in both casinos and online. VIPpoker.com is a highly secure poker website that has a number of table options for Seven Card Stud.

While the rules for Seven Card Stud might seem a little complicated at first, after a few sessions, most players get the basics down pat. Let's take a look at the beginning of a Seven Card Stud game. Before any action can take place, all of the players must "ante up." Unlike Texas Hold'em, players have to pay something to see any cards, but the ante is generally fairly small.

After everyone has put in an ante, each player is dealt three cards. Two of the cards are dealt face down, and the last is dealt face up. The player with the lowest-ranking exposed card makes a mandatory bet of either half or the entire size of the small bet.

For example, at a $4/$8 Seven Card Stud table, the player with the lowest-ranking exposed card would have to make a bet of either two or four dollars. The betting then continues in a clockwise direction. The players are then dealt another card face up. This time the betting is started by the player with the highest exposed card. If there is a tie, the player to the left of the dealer begins the betting. Learn more about this variation of poker by signing up at VIPpoker.com.