Stud has no shared board. Part of every hand is exposed for the whole table to see. Distinguish your final hand from public information and from the order of action.
In this guide
Seven-card stud
Start with two downcards and one upcard. Fourth, fifth and sixth street arrive face up; seventh street is face down. Five betting rounds lead to the best five of your seven cards. Antes and a bring-in start the pot. The lowest opening upcard posts the bring-in, subject to the specified suit tiebreak.
Further reading: PokerStars: Seven Card Stud
Exposed cards are not community cards
An opponent shows three spades. You cannot add them to your own flush. They still matter because they are absent from the unseen remainder and constrain possible distributions. A previously exposed card that has since been folded can remain relevant to a review.
When learning, record exposed ranks on paper first. Add suits and folded cards later. Aim for a clear information state rather than memorising long sequences without connecting them to the decision.
Stud Hi/Lo eight-or-better
Stud eight-or-better divides high and a qualifying ace-to-five low. Low needs five distinct ranks no higher than eight; straights and flushes do not harm it. Different five-card selections from the same seven cards may form high and low. With no qualifying low, high wins everything.
Further reading: PokerStars: Stud Hi/Lo
Five-card stud is not five-card draw
The five-card stud edition compared here starts with one downcard and one upcard, then adds three more upcards with betting between deals. There is no draw, and each player finishes with only five cards. “Best five out of seven” does not describe this edition.
Further reading: Loto-Québec: Five Card Stud
Before the first stud hand
Record high or Hi/Lo, ante, bring-in, betting sizes and the procedure for tied upcards. Suits may decide a bring-in tie without making one high hand stronger at showdown. Keep the administrative starting rule separate from hand ranking.