In Australian casinos 7-card (and legislation only permits hi) has been dead for a decade. (although I know of one where an infrequent game starts up a few times a year).

I assume this is the case all around the globe? Has anyone else anywhere noticed anything different?

Does anyone consider it might re-spark? Or is it just too complex and dangerous for the average player?

Would a burst of tv coverage seriously promote 7-card, or is Texas Hold'em immovable? Omaha might be gaining a slight following but still just a trickle?

Any comments on the future popularity of Stud in general?

We have tried getting stud (including stud8, they will spread this) and mixed games up at crown casino all year with very little success.

I don't think it will be as popular as it used to be.

Holdem is such a simple game. Especially No limit as you can bet whatever you want (almost).

Sadly if you want to play live poker you must conform with the general public

Why don't you try and ask the Poker Room to run special promo's to get the stud games going?

The best thing to do is to start a interest list for a low stakes stud table. Go around the room and ask if anyone is interested. Also more people are prone to sit at a table that has already started. So you might want to start the table short-handed. Bring along a couple of your mates who do want to play stud and start the table with 3-4 people. Also find the Casino you play at in B&R(if it isn't there start a thread) and post that you are interested in getting a Stud game going at xx:xx time on X day.

History of poker seems to suggest that once a game is replaced by a "better" game (ie. one most people like better), it never comes back. Five card stud was big, then draw, then seven stud, then limit holdem and now no limit holdem, both cash and tournament. I don't see another game on the horizon, but when one comes along it will need to combine fast action, a good balance of luck and skill and a strong betting structure. If you consider, those are the key factors that each game has improved upon in the past.

yah if PLO doesn't replace holdem nothing will.





















except razz

banned in multiple countries and states, it's the only outlaw game left

Not too sure about Razz, Camz but I think your observation about Omaha is accurate. There has been a shift in Australian casinos (and my knowledge of US & European casinos is zero), just over the last couple of years, towards PLO.

This seems to be due to:

a bit of boredom, stagnation with NLHE,
younger players looking for a new challenge,
and just the fact it is a new, and to many, more skilful game.

Just have to wait and see what the next few years brings.

Cheers

MRB: that's not a bad historical analysis & summation. The speed might be the key ingredient. Many Oz casinos are turning towards turbo games; 20 sec only to act. I can see that being stripped to 10 secs before too much longer.

plo is awesome.

stud hi sucks...

NL 5-card stud needs to return in popularity

one down, three up, one down with a single card draw on fifth is my favorite variant

people always talk about PLO being the great hope to replace or compete with holdem and unfortunately I don't think it ever will. The lifeblood of poker is the low and mid stakes where most of the dead money comes from passive rec players, not whales like 5-10+, I really think PLO is just too intimidating, complicated, and brutal for a lot of those players. The allure of having 4 cards in your hand is completely negated by the fact that PLO hands don't have an obvious hierarchy like holdem hands do. this is important to fish and recs. When you can't look down at Aces and have your heart start pumping the game really loses something for poor players. AA elicits a completely different emotional reaction for most players than QJTTds

also stud hi lol. the only places I know it is played regularly are commerce (with a wide range of stakes) and the 5-10 at foxwoods (2xlol). It just is not an action game!

Ive got my fingers crossed that people realize 2-7nl is the sickest game but that wont happen (no pretty flops!)

You raise some valid points Architect and you are probably correct in most of them. A lot of the better Texas players are happy to migrate into a new game, but in real terms they are a very distinct minority.

The complexity of 7-card and Omaha, as you point out, shuts out 95%+ of Holdem players.

7-card is complex?

7-card anything looks more complex, so the barrier to entry is much higher than with HE, a deceptively simple looking game. NLHE combines that illusion of simplicity with the action of the shove, the stare down, the drama of the board playing out, etc. It's the gateway game to the poker culture and is likely to remain in that position for a long time to come.

Very True.......
When my Grandpa taught me poker, the first game I learned was 7 card Stud Hi and the reason was because you can play it "...as long as you can count and are not blind."