Official Poker Rules BoardDocument OPR-646 · Updated 28 September 2026

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Sevens Take All Rules

Sevens Take All is dealt and bet like Seven Card Stud: two cards down, four up and a seventh card that each player may take up or down. The difference is at the showdown, where a pair of sevens beats every other hand, including a royal flush. Without a pair of sevens, the best ordinary poker hand wins.

Players: Up to 7 (4 or more recommended)
Type: Stud, with a special top hand
Wild cards: None
Pot: High only
Betting rounds: 6

Article 1Players, deck and objective

1.1

Sevens Take All is a variation of Seven Card Stud. Up to seven players may take part. The game works best with four or more.

1.2

A standard 52-card deck is used. There are no wild cards.

1.3

Each player makes their best five-card hand from the seven cards they are dealt. Hands rank according to the standard poker hand rankings, with one exception: a pair of sevens beats every other hand (rule 4.1).

1.4

The object is to win the pot, either by holding the winning hand at showdown or by making a bet that no other player calls.

Article 2Antes and the deal

2.1

Before the deal, each player places the agreed ante in the pot. The published rules do not fix an amount, so the dealer shall announce it.

2.2

Each player is dealt two cards face down (the hole cards). Players then receive one card at a time, with a betting round after each, as shown below.

Stage	Cards dealt	Betting
Hole cards	2 face down	Round 1
Third card	1 face up	Round 2
Fourth card	1 face up	Round 3
Fifth card	1 face up	Round 4
Sixth card	1 face up	Round 5
Seventh card	1 card, face up or face down at each player's choice	Round 6

2.3

Before dealing the seventh card, the dealer shall ask each player still in the hand whether they want it face up or face down, and deal it accordingly.

Article 3Betting

3.1

Every betting round is begun by the first active player to the immediate left of the dealer. Unlike Seven Card Stud, the opener is not decided by the cards showing.

3.2

Players act in turn clockwise and may check, bet, call, raise or fold in the usual way. The betting limits are those announced by the dealer. See betting structures.

3.3

If all but one player folds at any point, the remaining player wins the pot without showing their cards.

Article 4Showdown and ties

4.1

At showdown, a player who holds a pair of sevens wins the pot, whatever the other players hold. A pair of sevens beats a straight flush and a royal flush.

4.2

If no player holds a pair of sevens, the best five-card poker hand wins in the normal way.

4.3

If two or more players each hold a pair of sevens, they split the pot, unless the kicker option in rule 5.1 was announced before the deal.

4.4

The published rules do not say how three or four sevens are treated. The dealer shall announce before the deal whether these count as holding a pair of sevens.

4.5

The cards speak. A pair of sevens wins whether or not the player declares it.

Example

A pair of sevens beats a flush

Player A: K♥Q♥9♥5♥2♥8♣3♠, a king-high flush in hearts.

Player B: 7♣7♦A♠J♦6♣4♠2♦, a pair of sevens.

In ordinary stud, the flush would win. In Sevens Take All, Player B's pair of sevens takes the whole pot.

Article 5Common variations

5.1

Kickers. Instead of splitting the pot between players with a pair of sevens, some tables break the tie on kickers. Each tied player's highest other card is compared, then the next highest, and so on, until one player is ahead.

Example

Breaking a tie between two pairs of sevens

Player A: 7♠7♥A♦9♣5♦3♣2♠. Player B: 7♣7♦K♠Q♣J♣8♦4♥.

Both players hold a pair of sevens. With the kicker option, A's ace beats B's king, so A wins the pot. Without it, the pot is split.

5.2

Some tables deal the seventh card face down to everyone, as in standard Seven Card Stud. The dealer shall announce this before the deal.

Article 6Strategy notes

There are only four sevens in the deck. Watch the up cards: every seven showing in another player's hand reduces your chance of making the pair.
A player showing one seven, with no other sevens visible, is a threat until the last card.
Taking the seventh card face down hides whether you have completed a pair of sevens, which can win more in the final round of betting.

Article 7Frequently asked questions

What beats a royal flush in Sevens Take All?

A pair of sevens. In this game, any player holding a pair of sevens wins the pot, even against a straight flush or royal flush.

What happens if two players both have a pair of sevens?

They split the pot. Some tables instead decide the tie on the players' highest other cards (kickers). The dealer should announce which rule applies before the deal.

Can you take the last card face down in Sevens Take All?

Yes. Before the seventh card is dealt, each player chooses whether to receive it face up or face down.

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.

Sevens Take All Rules · OPR-646 · officialpokerrules.com/sevens-take-all/

OPR-646Uncontrolled when printed