How to Play Mississippi Stud

The old poker maxim that you have to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em is much more than a cliche regarding Mississippi Stud Poker. It’s what the strategy for the game is all about.

Play opens with an ante, then each player receives two cards face down, and three community cards are dealt face down at the center of the table.

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After that, there are three opportunities to bet from one to three times your ante. Each time, you must ask yourself, “Do I hold ’em and make the extra bet, or do I fold ’em and save my money?”

The object is to finish with a five-card hand of a pair of 6s or better. The dealer does not get a hand, and you do not have to beat the dealer or other players.

You get your bet back if you finish with a pair of 6s through 10s. With a pair of Jacks or better, the payoff is even money — you get your bet back plus an equal amount in winnings.

Moving up the pay table, you’re paid 2-1 for two pairs, 3-1 for three of a kind, 4-1 for a straight, 6-1 for a flush, 10-1 for a full house, 40-1 for four of a kind, 100-1 for a straight flush and 500-1 for a royal flush.

After you ante and the cards are dealt, you may look at your two cards and choose to bet or fold. Next, the first community card is turned face up. You again must choose to bet or fold.

Then, the second community card is turned up, and you have one last bet/fold choice. Finally, the third community card is turned up, and the live casino dealer pays the winners.

One key to strategy is to assign points to cards corresponding to their value if paired up.

Deuces, 3s, 4s, and 5s bring no payoff if paired up, so those are zero-point cards for strategy purposes. One-point cards are 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, and 10s — the cards that will get your money back if paired. Pairs of Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces bring 1-1 payoffs, so faces and Aces are two-point cards.

When do you hold ’em, and when do you fold ’em?

Bet three times your ante if you have a pair of 6s or better. That start guarantees you will do no worse than getting your money back, and your best play is to bet the maximum at every opportunity.

Bet an amount equal to your ante if you have at least two points, according to the rankings above. Two middle cards, such as an eight and a 6, are one point each and two points for the hand, so you stay in play. It’s also a two-point hand if you have a Jack or better and a low card. However, two low cards, a low card, and a middle card, are not strong enough to bet. Fold those instead, with one exception listed below.

Bet an amount equal to your ante if you have two cards of the same suit, 6-5 or better. 6-5 is just a one-point hand without both cards being in the same suit. However, 6-5 suited opens the possibility of straight flushes or straights, so it’s worth making a minimum bet to see another card.

Bet three times your ante with any paying hand.

Bet three times your ante with three parts of a royal flush. Even if the cards are not consecutive, three cards of the same suit, ten or higher, pack a lot of value with possible high pairs, straights, flushes, and, in some hands, straight flushes, as well as the royal.

Bet three times your ante with three parts of a straight flush with no gaps and 5-6-7 or higher, with one gap and at least one high card, or two gaps and at least two high cards. You wouldn’t want to make the 3x bet if you have 6-7-9 suited because the gap between the 7 and 9 means one of the remaining cards must be an eight and the other either a 5 or 1 10 to complete a straight or straight flush. With 5-6-7, you could complete a straight or straight flush with 3-4, 4-8, or 8-9.

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