How to play Mississippi Stud
Mississippi Stud is a five-card poker game played against a pay table. There is no dealer hand to beat. Your only job is to build the best five-card hand and to bet well as the cards come out.
Short answer
Place an ante. You are dealt two cards, then three community cards are revealed one at a time. Before each reveal you either fold or bet 1x, 2x, or 3x your ante. After the last card, your best five-card hand is paid on the table below. Every wager you made, ante included, is paid at the same rate.
The flow of a hand
A hand moves through four steps:
| Step | What happens | Your choice |
|---|---|---|
| Ante | You post one unit to be dealt in. | None |
| 3rd street | You hold your two cards. | Fold, or bet 1x to 3x |
| 4th street | The first community card is shown. | Fold, or bet 1x to 3x |
| 5th street | The second community card is shown. | Fold, or bet 1x to 3x |
| Showdown | The third community card completes your hand. | None |
If you fold on any street, you surrender every wager already made and the hand ends. If you reach showdown, your five cards are scored once against the pay table.
The pay table
These payouts are for the common 3-4-6-40-500 version of the game. A win pays every unit you have wagered, so a 3x bet on a winning hand is paid three times over.
| Final five-card hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 500 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 100 to 1 |
| Four of a kind | 40 to 1 |
| Full house | 10 to 1 |
| Flush | 6 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two pair | 2 to 1 |
| Pair, Jacks or better | 1 to 1 |
| Pair, 6s through 10s | push |
| Pair, 2s through 5s | lose |
| Less than a pair | lose |
Two results are worth noting. A pair of 6s through 10s returns your money as a push, and a pair of 2s through 5s loses. That split is why the low pairs do not protect you the way a face pair does.
Common questions
Is there a dealer hand to beat?
No. You are paid purely on the strength of your own five-card hand against the pay table.
Can I raise my bet after seeing a card?
You choose a fresh bet size on each street. Earlier bets stay on the table, and each street lets you add 1x, 2x, or 3x more, or fold.
What is the best possible hand?
A royal flush, which pays 500 to 1 on every unit wagered.