In the end, the player with the strongest five-card hand wins. Click to learn how to play Seven-Card Stud. There are no community cards, and players are dealt seven cards each in total (with rounds of betting in between). The player with the lowest value up-card is forced to kick off the betting. Players are first dealt three cards, two of which are face down (in the hole). Seven-Card Stud was at one time the most popular poker variation. How Much Money Can You Make Playing Poker?.