For many years, 7-Card Stud was easily the most-played poker game. Then, in the '70s, Texas Hold'em arrived, and it has been gaining popularity during the past decade. It wasn't bad enough that Hold'em became more popular; now Omaha/8 is arguably the second-most-popular poker game.

1. How To Play Seven Up

Say 'heads down, thumbs up – time to play seven up' if you are the teacher. Step 3: Put thumbs up Put your head down and your thumb up if you are a player. Step 4: Pick a person Pick one player within one minute if you are 'it.' Pick players by touching their raised thumbs. Chosen players lower their thumbs when they are touched.

Don't let any of this, however, mislead you into thinking that 7-Card Stud is no longer important to the poker world. It is still offered in most fair-size card rooms, at some tournaments, and is often played by many at home. 7-Card Stud is an intricate card game with many details to learn. If you are looking for a way to gain more knowledge about the game, you have found the right article. Let's get down to basics:

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7-Card Stud is played both high only (meaning the highest hand wins) and high-low/hi-lo (meaning that the highest hand splits the winnings with the lowest hand). The discussion in this article will center on the high-only version. 7-Card Stud is also played at both set limit and pot (the pot is the total amount that has been bet in a single game) limit. Set limit means that there's a preset limit to how much you can bet, and pot limit means that you can bet as much money as there is in the pot at any given time.

Up to eight players may play in a 7-Card Stud game. It is possible that there will not be enough cards if all eight players make it to the end of the game, especially if the dealer burns (discards) a card prior to dealing to the active players. In these infrequent cases, instead of dealing a card to each active player, the dealer turns a 'community' card (a card that all active players can use).

Before the deal, each player places an ante into the pot and then receives two down cards (hole cards) and one face up card. The player with the lowest face up card (an ace is high in this situation) is required to start the betting action with an initial bet called the 'bring-in.' The bring-in must be at least the required minimum amount agreed upon before the game. Play continues to the left with either calls (to equal the previous opponent's bet), raises (to bet higher than the previous opponent), or folds (to resign). For example, if a player thought he had a strong hand and good chance of winning the round, he would raise the bet in attempt to generate the largest pot possible.

After all betting is completed, a fourth card is dealt face up to each player who has not folded. From this point on, the player with the highest hand showing starts the action. For example, if the high hand (excluding the hole cards) is a pair after the fourth card is dealt, the player with this pair must check (to decline to bet or to pass when it is your turn to act), bet, or fold. Because there is no bring-in requirement after the first betting round, players do not need to fold until there is a bet. Once there is a bet, players left in the game, in turn, must call, raise, or fold. It is possible for players to check around the table, thus having a round with no bets.

A fifth card is dealt face up followed by a betting round, and then a sixth card is dealt face up followed by another round of betting. The seventh card is dealt to each player face down, and the final round of betting starts. Each round is often called a 'street' (the third card is called third street, the fourth card is called fourth street, and so on through seventh street).

A skill that is much more important in 7-Card Stud than most other forms of poker is memory. All good 7-Card Stud players remember what cards their opponents were showing before they folded. This is important because players need to know what cards are still out there that can help them and which ones are already gone. Like most forms of poker, other important skills include reading players, reading hands, reading betting patterns, and determining pot odds (the odds of winning the pot) and starting hand selection (which starting hands are worth playing).

The best starting hand is two aces in the hole and an ace showing, followed by other three-of-a-kind hands (often called rolled-up trips). Next is a high pair in the hole because it is not only a high pair but also a hidden one. High pairs with one card showing, especially if it is the highest card showing, are also strong starting hands. Hands with strong flush and straight possibilities are also reasonable starting hands.

Like all forms of poker, 7-Card Stud is a game of information. Always be aware of what cards your opponents have showing and what hands they could possibly have. Sometimes you'll notice players who are just learning the game calling bets on the last betting round with hands that can't beat what an opponent has showing. For example, Player A has two aces showing and Player B calls with only a pair of kings. If Player B had simply been paying attention, he/she could have saved at least one bet.

Just like Hold'em and Omaha, the best 7-Card Stud players are tight and aggressive, and they can read players, hands, and situations. Sometimes poor players can win for long stretches of time in Hold'em because of short-term variance, but poor players in 7-Card Stud usually struggle because of a reduced 'luck' factor. Understanding what cards are still available to help your hand and pot odds are of the utmost importance to a successful 7-Card Stud player.

For more information on 7-Card Stud Poker and other variations, try the following links:

• To see all of our articles on poker rules and advice, go to our main article on How To Play Poker.
• For an simple overview of the game, brush up on some Poker Basics.
• Take up the new 'most popular version of poker' by learning How to Play Texas Hold 'Em Poker.
• For a real challenge, learn the ins and outs of a complex form of poker, and become skilled at How to Play Omaha Poker.

Cool Spot is a 1993 platformer video game developed and published by Virgin Games for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was later ported by other teams to Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Game Boy, Amiga and DOS in 1994.^[1] The title character is Cool Spot, a mascot for the soft drink brand 7 Up. Cool Spot's appearance in his own video game came at a time when other notable brand mascots (like Chester the Cheetah and the Noid) were appearing in their own video games.^[2]

• 1Gameplay

Gameplay[edit]

The title is a single-player platformer in which the player controls Cool Spot.^[3] Cool Spot can jump and can attack by throwing soda bubbles in any direction. Cool Spot can also cling to and climb various things by jumping up in front of them. In each level the player must rescue other cool spots, who look exactly alike, from their cages. In order to do so, the player is required to collect a certain number of 'spots' that changes (usually increasing) as the game progresses. 'Spots' are placed around the level in large quantities. The player's health is monitored by a humorous Cool Spot face that gradually bends forward and eventually falls from its position as damage occurs. Damage is taken by touching enemies and their projectiles and certain other obstacles. There is also a time limit for each level. The game has no save feature but does include checkpoints in the form of flagpoles.

If the player successfully collects enough Spots to enter the Bonus Stage after defeating a level, it is possible to collect Continues by grabbing a letter hidden within the stage. Depending on the version of the game, all letters either spell 'UNCOLA' (7 Up's slogan), or 'VIRGIN' (the game's developer). If a Continue letter is collected, Spot will be able to restart on the level he was on at the time of losing his last life, although his total points will be reset.

Regional differences[edit]

In the European release, the 7 Up bottle was removed from the intro and replaced by a generic soda bottle of similar color. The decision was made to avoid associating the 7 Up Spot with the 7 Up brand, in a region where Fido Dido has been considered the brand's official mascot since the 1980s. ^[4]

Reception[edit]

Cool Spot was ranked 88th on Complex's 'Best Super Nintendo Games of all Time list' which praised the game for being a 'pretty enjoyable platformer' despite blatant product placement.^[5]

Pelit gave it a score of 84%, and summarized it as 'surprisingly entertaining and fun'.^{[citation needed]}

Sequel[edit]

While Cool Spot was a side-scrolling platform game, its sequel, Spot Goes To Hollywood, was more 3D in orientation and featured gameplay inside various movies. Despite excellent visuals, its isometric perspective and unusual controls made it an exceedingly difficult game. This game, published once again by Virgin Interactive, was developed by Eurocom. It was released for Mega Drive/Genesis in 1995, Sega Saturn in 1996, and SonyPlayStation in 1997, with the 32-bit versions featuring revamped graphics and different levels than those of the Mega Drive/Genesis version, and being developed by Burst Studios instead of Eurocom.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Cool Spot at MobyGames
2. ^'When McDonald's, Domino's, and Chester Cheetah Took Over Your ...'Motherboard. Motherboard. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
3. ^'9 SUPER NINTENDO GAMES AND ODDITIES TOO WEIRD FOR THE SNES CLASSIC'. Newsweek. Newsweek. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
4. ^'Fido Dido returns as face of 7 Up'Archived May 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine at B&T,
5. ^'The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time'. Complex. Complex. Retrieved 13 August 2018.

How To Play Seven Up

External links[edit]

• Spot at MobyGames
• Seven Up Spot at Commodore Scene Database