Poker is quite the craze, and everyone seems to be playing. But, not everyone has the patience to sit and play against a table filled with opponents. Some casino players simply enjoy playing against one opponent, the house.

In order to let these players have more fun playing poker, games that are usually mulitplayer contests are being given new life in the form of house-versions. Texas Holdem has already made it's way into being a house game, where players can play against the casino. The new microgaming powered online casino game of Poker Ride is a good example of this.

Next on the list, 7 Card Stud against the house. This game is being dealt online at Bodog.

Here's how it works

Players make a wager. It can be up to five coins (you choose the coin size you'd like to use for playing. It can be anywhere from a nickel up to $5). There will be multiple betting rounds, and the amount you may bet in the later rounds is determined by the amount you bet in the early rounds.

If you only wager one coin, you will be limited to wagers of one coin later. If you wager five coins, you will be allowed to bet up to five coins on the next betting round.

Once the first wager is made . . .

Cards are Dealt

You receive 7 cards, two of which are face up. Next is a betting round. You can bet as much as you did on the previous round, or as little as you'd like. This includes "checking" it all the way down by pressing the Deal All button.

If you decide to bet, another card is turned face up. An additional round of betting follows. Once again, you are limited in bet size by the amount of your previous bet. You may also decide to check to the river by pressing the Deal All button.

This procedure continues until you've played through all 7 cards in the hand. Then, players are paid off according to the payout chart for the game.

Take a look at the pay table before you start playing. Like many other video poker or house poker games, payouts do not start at Ace high. In fact, the machine I was playing didn't award anything for two pairs either. Payouts began at 3 of a Kind.

This page was last updated on July 19th, 2006.