Seven and What Makes It Rules

Seven and What Makes It is dealt and bet like seven-card stud. Every seven is wild, and so is any group of a player's cards whose values add up to seven, such as a 4 and a 3, or an ace, a 2 and a 4. Aces count as one for this purpose. The best high hand wins, and the top hand is five aces.

Also known as 7 and What Makes It

Players: 2 to 7
Type: Stud
Wild cards: Sevens, and cards adding up to seven
Pot: High only
Best hand: Five aces

Article 1Players, deck and wild cards

1.1

Seven and What Makes It is a variant of seven-card stud for two to seven players, contributed to pagat.com by Dan Mathe. It uses a standard 52-card deck.

1.2

Any set of a player's own cards whose values total seven is wild. A single seven counts as such a set, so every seven is wild.

1.3

For this purpose, an ace counts as one and every other number card counts as its face value. Cards of 8 or more, and picture cards, can never be part of a set.

1.4

A card may belong to only one set at a time. Each player divides their cards into sets so as to make the best hand they can.

1.5

Both face-up and face-down cards may be combined.

1.6

Five of a kind is possible and is the best hand, above a straight flush. Five aces is the highest hand of all. See hand rankings.

Article 2Antes, the deal and betting

2.1

Antes and betting limits are set by the house or the dealer. The cards are dealt and bet exactly as in seven-card stud.

Street	Cards dealt	Betting
Third street	2 face down, 1 face up	First round
Fourth street	1 face up	Second round
Fifth street	1 face up	Third round
Sixth street	1 face up	Fourth round
Seventh street	1 face down	Final round

Article 3Counting wild cards

Cards held	Wild cards
7, 5 and 2	All three: the 7 alone, and 5+2
A, 2 and 4	All three: 1+2+4
5, 2, 2 and K	Only the 5 and one 2; the other 2 cannot reach seven, and the king never counts
6, 5, 2 and A	All four: 6+A and 5+2

Example

Two wild cards make four of a kind

A player holds 3♣Q♦ face down, 4♥9♠9♥J♣ face up, and 8♦ as the seventh card.

The 3 and the 4 add up to seven, so both are wild. No other group of cards totals seven.

Using both wild cards as nines, the player has four nines with a queen kicker, 9-9-9-9-Q.

Article 4Showdown

4.1

After the final betting round, the remaining players show their hands and declare how they have grouped their cards into sevens. The best five-card high hand wins the whole pot.

Article 5Strategy notes

Wild cards are plentiful, so a hand below a full house rarely wins.
Low face-up cards such as a 3 or a 5 suggest a matching card in the hole. That is a legitimate way to represent a strong hand.
Picture cards and cards of 8 or higher can never become wild, so a board full of them is easy for opponents to read.

Article 6Frequently asked questions

What is wild in Seven and What Makes It?

Every seven, and any group of your own cards that adds up to seven. Aces count as one, so an ace and a 6, or a 2, a 4 and an ace, are all wild.

Can one card be used in two sevens?

No. Each card can belong to only one group adding up to seven.

What is the best hand in Seven and What Makes It?

Five aces. With so many wild cards, five of a kind is possible, and it beats a straight flush.

Final authority

Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.

Hand rankings, high to low: royal flush · straight flush · four of a kind · full house · flush · straight · three of a kind · two pair · one pair · high card. Suits never break ties.

Seven and What Makes It Rules · OPR-710 · officialpokerrules.com/seven-and-what-makes-it/

OPR-710Uncontrolled when printed