Mississippi Stud and Variants
Mississippi offers a variant of Stud that works better in a pot-limit format. This section describes the Mississippi variant of three common games, Stud (High Only), Stud High/Low Eight-or-Better (abbreviated Stud/8 below), and Razz.
Forced Money
The game is played with a button and blinds.
Dealing Procedure
Starting with the player in seat one, each player is dealt two cards face down and then one card up, followed by a round of betting, starting with the player to the left of the big blind (as is usual for games with blinds).
Two up cards are dealt to each player in the way stud up cards are dealt, that is, starting in seat 1. This is followed by a round of betting. The betting for this round and later rounds is initiated by the best high poker hand showing for Stud and Stud/8, or for the best low hand if playing Mississippi Razz (as is usual for the non-Mississippi versions of these games).
A fourth up card is dealt to all players. This is followed by a round of betting.
A fifth up card is dealt to all players. This is followed by a round of betting.
If there are not enough cards in the stub to deal every remaining player a card, a single community card is dealt instead.
Evaluating the Showdown
In Mississipi Stud, the best high five-card hand wins the pot.
In Mississippi Stud High-Low, the pot is split between the best high five-card hand and the best California low hand with an 8 qualifier. (If there is no low hand, the high hand scoops.)
In Mississippi Razz, the best five-card California low hand wins the pot.
Notes
Mississippi Stud is intended to be played pot-limit. Mississippi can also be played in a limit format.
The game was designed by David Zanetti to be a version of stud more amenable to a big-bet format than standard seven-card stud. See this entry from the old RGP FAQ.