7 Card Stud is a very popular poker game which begins with each player being dealt two cards face down and one card face up. A round of betting then takes place. Following this three further cards are dealt face up and one further card is dealt face down, with a round of betting between each. Players must use the cards they are dealt to make a five-card poker hand. In games which have a fixed limit, the small bet is placed in the first two betting rounds and the large bet in the final three betting rounds.

The rules in this section pertain to discrepancies, errors and irregularities in the game of 7 Card Stud, and how those situations will be resolved.

16.1 Should the first or second hole card of a player be dealt face-up, the third card will be dealt face-down to compensate, except in a tournament scenario, in which case a misdeal will be announced.

16.2 Should both first and second hole cards be dealt face-up, the hand is declared dead and the player will have their ante refunded.

16.3 The player with the lowest up-card by suit begins the first betting round with a forced bet. This player may opt to open for a full bet.

16.4 Should the player with the lowest up-card be all-in on the ante, the player to their left will be first to act.

16.5 Should the player with the lowest up-card not have sufficient chips to make the entire amount of the forced bet, they will go all-in and other players will bet according to the usual minimums.

16.6 In the event of the wrong player being identified as having the low card acts, and the next player has not acted, the error will be rectified by the bet being returned and the correct player will act. If the next player has already acted, the bet shall stand and play will continue without any further obligation to the correct low-card player.

16.7 A player who increases the amount of the forced bet up to the size of a full bet has not technically made a raise.

16.8 In the event that there is an open pair on the fourth card, players can opt to make the smaller or larger bet.

16.9 If a player is not at the table when it is their turn to act, they will lose their ante and any forced bet that has been made. Their hand will be killed if they are not present at the table when the betting reaches their seat.

16.10 In tournament play, the dealer will automatically kill the hand of any player who is not seated at the table when the starting hands have been dealt.

16.11 Until a hand is killed, cards will continue to be dealt to an empty seat so that other player receive the same cards that they would have done otherwise.

16.12 A player must call before picking up his up-cards, otherwise his action signifies a fold. This rule does not apply at the showdown where all betting has ended.

16.13 If a card is dealt off the table, it will be deemed an exposed card and treated accordingly.

16.14 The dealer will announce the low card, high hand, raises and pairs, but he will not announce achievable straights or flushes.

16.15 Should the dealer inadvertently burn two cards in a round or not burn any card, the error will be corrected - if possible - so that the cards are adjusted to their normal positions. If this error occurs on the final down-card and merges with a player's hole cards or is viewed by a player, the card will stand.

16.16 If the dealer burns and deals any cards before the current round of betting is complete, those cards will be eliminated from play and an additional card taken to one side from each player still active after the current round of betting has ended. These cards will be used in the event that the dealer exhausts the rest of the deck. The dealer will then burn a further card and proceed as normal.

16.17 The only exception to Rule 16.6 is when the card dealt early is the final down-card and merges with a player's hole cards, the card stands. However, the player will not be allowed to bet or raise because he already has his seven cards.

16.18 Should the dealer begin to run out of cards, all but the last card will be dealt. The last card will then be merged with all burn cards and any cards taken aside as per the previous rules, scrambled and cut. He will burn one card and then deal as normal.

16.19 Further to Rule 16.18, the dealer may opt not to burn a card if by so doing he can deal a fresh card to each player.

16.20 Further to Rule 16.18, if the dealer will not have enough cards to deal a fresh card to each player even without burning a card, he will burn a card and then place one community card face up on the board to form part of all players hands. The player with the high hand using the new community card will be the first to act.

16.21 A player who is all-in will received his hole cards face down. Should the final hole card dealt to this player be dealt face up, the card will stand.

16.22 Should the dealer deal the final card to any player face-up, the player with the high hand using all up-cards on the board will be the first to act. Cards will then be dealt as described in Rules 16.23 and 16.24.

16.23 Where there are three or more players, all players involved will receive their last card face down. The player with their last card face-up may move all-in before betting begins.

16.24 Where there are exactly two players involved, the final card for the player yet to receive it will be dealt face-up also. Should this not happen, and one player's final card be face-up whilst his opponent's final card is face-down, the player with their last card face-up may move all-in before betting begins.

16.25 Any hand which consists of eight or more card is dead.

16.26 Any hand which consists of six or less cards at the showdown is dead.

16.27 Any player who calls a bet knowing that they are beaten does so to obtain further information about a hand and will not be entitled to any refund.