Making Stud Poker Variants
Any stud poker variant is ultimately based on either the Five-Card Stud poker or the Seven-Card Stud poker. The stud poker variant is simply created when any or a combination of these three modification methods is used. The three modification methods are:1. Changing the rules about the wild cards - more jokers can be added to the deck and these act as wild cards, or some cards held by the players take up the role of wild cards
2. Adding more hole cards - but the poker player must also discard some of the hole cards he gets so that, in the final round, the poker player holds the required number of hole cards.
3. Decreasing the number of betting rounds - a particular betting round is no longer conducted
Using the above modification methods, more stud poker variants can be created. Some of these poker variants are the following:
- Low hole card wild - In this stud poker variant, the lowest-ranking hole card which is held by each player becomes the wild card. That is, if the lowest-ranked card of the player is a 6, this six becomes a wild card. And if he holds two 6 cards, the poker player has two wild cards. But the 6-card's role as a wild card is applicable to this poker player only. Other poker players in the game may have other wild cards.
- Follow the queen - When a poker player is dealt with a face-up Queen, the next face up card (whatever is the rank and all others of this rank) assumes the role of a wild card. But if a second face up Queen is dealt, the previous wild cards are no longer considered as wild cards. The next wild cards will be the succeeding face up cards after the second Queen.
- Crocodile stud poker - This poker variant is based on the Five-Card Stud, but each poker player receives one extra hole card at the beginning. But in forming the final hand, only two of the hole cards can be used.
- Buffalo stud poker - This particular poker variant is based on the Seven-Card Stud, but the poker players are dealt with one more hold card (for a total of three) during the first round. However, only two of these hole cards can be used in the final hand.
- Australian stud poker - This stud poker variant is very similar to the Buffalo stud poker, except for the rule that requires the poker players to discard their extra hole cards immediately after the first betting round.
- Mississippi stud poker - This widely-played stud poker variant is based on the Seven-Card Stud, but the second betting round is no longer done. The last card dealt to each player is face up.
- Murrumbidgee stud poker - This stud poker variant is very much like the Mississippi stud, but the poker players receive an extra hole card.
The poker players are not limited to the stud poker variants described here. Poker players who play in home games can make their own modifications to come up with their own stud poker variants, which are also described as "ad-hoc poker games".