Mississippi Stud Rules and Strategy: How the Three Streets Work and Why a Pair of Sixes Only Pushes

How a Round of Mississippi Stud Works

Each player places an ante, and the dealer gives every player two face-down cards. Three community cards sit face-down in front of the dealer. Players look at their own two cards, then choose whether to fold or to bet one to three times the ante on third street. The first community card is then turned over, and the same choice comes again on fourth street, followed by the second community card and a final choice on fifth street. After the last card is revealed, the player's two cards plus the three community cards form a five-card poker hand, judged only against the paytable.

The Paytable Decides Everything

Because no dealer hand is being beaten, the payouts are the heart of the game. A common layout pays 1 to 1 on a pair of jacks or better, 2 to 1 on two pair, 3 to 1 on three of a kind, 4 to 1 on a straight, 6 to 1 on a flush, 10 to 1 on a full house, 40 to 1 on four of a kind, 100 to 1 on a straight flush, and 500 to 1 on a royal flush. A pair of sixes through tens is typically a push, so the bet comes back, while anything lower loses. Casinos tweak these numbers, so reading the posted table matters more than any memorized version.

Why Low Pairs Create an Odd Rule

A pair of sixes through tens is a push, not a win, which makes those hands feel like progress without payment. A pair of fives or lower loses outright. That cliff between a push and a loss is why starting hands built around low pairs deserve different treatment than high pairs. Players who treat every pair as a winner tend to overbet on fourth and fifth street and then watch the money come back at zero.

Basic Strategy: Raise Early on Strength, Fold Weak Hands

Published basic strategy for Mississippi Stud is a set of rules based on the paytable, not a feel-based system. In broad terms, strong third-street hands such as a pair of jacks or better, or high suited connected cards, justify the three-times bet, while a pair of sixes to tens and similar middling hands are better with the one-times bet. Hands with no pair, no high cards, and no path to a straight or flush usually fold. The key idea is that a bigger bet should follow a stronger hand, because each additional street gives the player more information at a fixed price.

Why Information Arrives in Pieces

The most useful feature of the game is that the player sees the community cards one at a time. By fifth street, only one community card is still hidden, so the final bet rests on a hand that is nearly finished. Bigger wagers should be saved for the later streets when a made hand is visible. Many losses come from putting three times the ante on third street with a hand that never improves, so patience at the first bet protects the bankroll.

House Edge and the Side Bet

With correct strategy, the house edge on a typical Mississippi Stud paytable lands somewhere around 5 percent, though it varies by casino and by the exact payouts. That figure is higher than blackjack with basic strategy and lower than many novelty games, which puts it in the middle of the floor. Some tables also offer a progressive side bet, and the progressive jackpot typically carries a much heavier edge than the ante, so treat it as a lottery ticket and not as a part of a strategy.

Where It Sits Among Poker Table Games

Mississippi Stud is faster and less confrontational than live poker, since there are no opponents and no bluffing. If the idea of a paytable-based poker game appeals, see how it compares with Caribbean Stud Poker and the house edge breakdown by game. More table-game explainers are collected in the casino section.

Basic strategy lowers the house edge, but it can't make Mississippi Stud a game the player wins over time, and no single hand is guaranteed to pay. Must be 21+ to gamble in the US (18+ in the UK). See our responsible gambling page if it stops being fun.