Mississippi Stud is a five-card poker table game where you play against a pay table, not the dealer or other players. You start with an ante and then decide three times whether to fold or raise as the community cards are revealed. With correct strategy, the house edge is about 4.91% of the ante, or about 1.37% of all the money you bet. This guide covers the rules, the pay table, a simple strategy, the odds, and where to find Mississippi Stud online in the US.
Casino Funk does not run games or take bets. This guide is educational, and the game has a house edge.
Key takeaways
- Mississippi Stud is played against a pay table, not the dealer; a pair of jacks or better pays and 6s to 10s push.
- With optimal strategy the house edge is about 4.91% of the ante, or about 1.37% of all money bet.
- You can bet up to 10x the ante per hand, so plan your bankroll around that.
- Folding weak hands (about 44% of the time) is a core part of correct strategy.
- Online availability varies; legal real-money play is limited to NJ, PA, MI, WV, CT, DE and RI for players 21+.
Mississippi Stud at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Goal | Finish with a five-card hand that pays on the pay table |
| Bets | Ante, then up to three raises of 1x to 3x the ante |
| Minimum paying hand | Pair of jacks or better (pair of 6s–10s pushes) |
| House edge | About 4.91% of the ante |
| Element of risk | About 1.37% of total amount bet with perfect strategy |
| Average total bet | About 3.6 times the ante |
| Age | 21+ |
How to play Mississippi Stud
- Place an ante bet.
- You receive two cards face down, and three community cards are dealt face down.
- 3rd Street: look at your two cards, then fold (losing the ante) or bet 1x, 2x or 3x the ante.
- 4th Street: the first community card is turned over. Fold or bet 1x to 3x the ante again.
- 5th Street: the second community card is turned over. Fold or bet 1x to 3x the ante a final time.
- The last community card is revealed, and all your bets are paid according to the pay table.
If you fold at any point, you lose every bet you have already made in that hand. Your final hand is the best five-card poker hand made from your two cards and the three community cards.
Mississippi Stud pay table
| Hand | Pays |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 500 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 100 to 1 |
| Four of a kind | 40 to 1 |
| Full house | 10 to 1 |
| Flush | 6 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two pair | 2 to 1 |
| Pair of jacks or better | 1 to 1 |
| Pair of 6s through 10s | Push (bets returned) |
| Anything else | Lose |
Some casinos use slightly different pay tables or add an optional bonus side bet. Check the help screen, because any change to the pay table changes the house edge.
Simple Mississippi Stud strategy
The easiest strategy uses a points system: J, Q, K and A = 2 points, 6 through 10 = 1 point, and 2 through 5 = 0 points. Count points for your cards plus any revealed community cards.
3rd Street (two cards)
- Raise 3x with any pair.
- Raise 1x with 2 or more points, or with a suited 6-5.
- Otherwise fold.
4th Street (three cards)
- Raise 3x with a pair of 6s or better, or with strong three-card royal or straight-flush draws.
- Raise 1x with a low pair (2s–5s), 3 or more points, any three suited cards, or certain three-card straight draws.
- Otherwise fold.
5th Street (four cards)
- Raise 3x with a pair of 6s or better, any four cards to a flush, or an open-ended straight draw with 8 high or better.
- Raise 1x with a low pair, 4 or more points, or other four-card straight draws.
- Otherwise fold.
This simplified strategy comes close to perfect play. The full strategy has more exceptions for specific straight and flush draws.
Mississippi Stud odds and house edge
Because you raise more with strong hands and fold weak ones, your average total bet is about 3.6 times the ante. The house wins about 4.91% of the ante per hand with perfect strategy, which works out to roughly 1.37% of the total money you put on the table. Folding too often or raising too little on good hands raises the house edge quickly.
The royal flush is very rare (about 1 in 650,000 five-card hands), so most of your returns come from pairs of jacks or better, two pair and three of a kind.
Mississippi Stud vs other poker table games
| Game | Played against | Approximate element of risk |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Stud | Pay table | About 1.4% |
| Three Card Poker (Ante/Play) | Dealer | About 2.0% |
| Ultimate Texas Hold’em | Dealer | About 0.5% |
| Let It Ride | Pay table | About 2.9% |
Where to play Mississippi Stud online in the US
Mississippi Stud is less common online than blackjack or roulette. Some state-licensed US online casinos list it in their table game or live dealer lobbies, but availability changes by casino and by state. Search the lobby for “Mississippi Stud” after you log in. If it is not offered, Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em are similar poker-style alternatives found at most licensed casinos.
Legal online casino play is available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island for players aged 21+ inside the state. Licensed brands include BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Palace Online, bet365 and Fanatics. See our legal map and casino reviews.
How often each result happens with optimal strategy
The pay table shows what each hand pays. The table below shows roughly how often each final result occurs when you play the game with optimal strategy. Figures are rounded and based on the published strategy analysis for the standard pay table:
| Final result | Approximate frequency |
|---|---|
| Fold before the end of the hand | 43.6% |
| Play to the end and lose | 30.2% |
| Pair of 6s to 10s (push) | 10.2% |
| Pair of jacks or better (1 to 1) | 10.7% |
| Two pair (2 to 1) | 3.3% |
| Three of a kind (3 to 1) | 1.6% |
| Straight (4 to 1) | 0.23% |
| Flush (6 to 1) | 0.13% |
| Full house (10 to 1) | 0.12% |
| Four of a kind (40 to 1) | 0.02% |
| Straight flush or royal flush | Under 0.002% |
Two things stand out. First, you fold in more than four hands out of ten. Folding is not a failure; it is a core part of the strategy, because it limits how much you put at risk on weak hands. Second, nearly nine in ten winning results are a high pair or two pair. The big hands are exciting but rare, so the game is won or lost on how well you handle ordinary hands.
A worked example: why raise size matters
Say your ante is $5. You can raise up to 3x the ante on each of the three streets, so the most you can have in play on one hand is $5 + $15 + $15 + $15 = $50, or ten times the ante. If you finish with a pair of jacks or better, every dollar you bet is paid 1 to 1, so a fully raised hand wins $50. If you finish with nothing, you lose the full $50.
This is why the strategy is so specific about when to raise 3x and when to raise only 1x. Raising 3x on a pair already guaranteed to push or pay protects strong hands, while raising 1x on marginal draws keeps your cost low when the outcome is uncertain. Players who raise 3x on hunches, or who never fold, push the house edge well above the 4.91% of the ante that optimal play achieves.
Bankroll planning for Mississippi Stud
- Plan for up to 10x the ante per hand, not just the ante. A $5 ante game can cost $50 on a single hand.
- On average your total bet is about 3.6 times the ante, so a $5 ante means roughly $18 in action per hand.
- With optimal play, the expected cost is about 4.91% of the ante per hand, or about 25 cents per hand at a $5 ante. Mistakes raise that quickly.
- Pick an ante that keeps ten fully raised hands well inside your session budget.
- Set deposit, loss and time limits in your casino account before you start.
The 3-Card Bonus side bet
Some Mississippi Stud tables offer an optional “3-Card Bonus” side bet based on your two cards plus the first community card. A version approved in New Jersey pays 1 to 1 for a pair, 3 or 4 to 1 for a flush, 5 or 6 to 1 for a straight, 30 to 1 for three of a kind and 40 to 1 for a straight flush, and some tables add a “mini royal” at 50 to 1. The exact pay table varies, and so does the house edge, which is generally higher than the main game. Treat it as an occasional extra, and check its pay table in the game’s help screen before you use it.
Common Mississippi Stud mistakes to avoid
- Not raising 3x with a pair on 3rd Street. Any starting pair at least pushes, so it is a strong hand worth the maximum raise.
- Refusing to fold. Playing every hand to the end with no points and no draw is the fastest way to lose.
- Raising 3x on weak draws. Most draws deserve a 1x raise, not the maximum.
- Forgetting that 6s to 10s only push. A small pair returns your bets but does not win; jacks or better are needed to get paid.
- Ignoring the pay table. Any change to the standard 500/100/40/10/6/4/3/2/1 table changes the house edge.
- Treating the side bet as part of the game. It is a separate, higher-edge wager.
Who makes Mississippi Stud?
Mississippi Stud was introduced by Scientific Games, the supplier now known as Light & Wonder, and it is a common sight in land-based casinos across the US. Online, it appears in some licensed casino lobbies as a digital table game; for example, FanDuel Casino lists a real-money version in Michigan. Availability changes by casino and state, so search the lobby after you log in.
Mississippi Stud glossary
- Ante: the starting bet that every hand requires.
- 3rd, 4th and 5th Street: the three decision points, after your two cards, the first community card and the second community card.
- Community cards: the three shared cards that combine with your two cards.
- Raise (play bet): an extra bet of 1x to 3x the ante on each street.
- Push: a tie result where your bets are returned; in this game, a pair of 6s to 10s.
- Element of risk: the house edge as a share of all money bet, about 1.37% here.
- Points system: the simple card-value method used in the basic strategy.
More casino game guides: blackjack guide · baccarat guide · roulette guide · video poker guide · slots guide.
Mississippi Stud FAQ
Do you play against the dealer in Mississippi Stud?
No. You are paid by the pay table based on your final five-card hand.
What is the house edge in Mississippi Stud?
About 4.91% of the ante with perfect strategy, or about 1.37% of all money bet.
What happens with a pair of 6s to 10s?
It pushes, so all your bets are returned.
When should I raise 3x?
Raise 3x with any pair on 3rd Street, and with a pair of 6s or better or strong flush and straight draws on later streets.
What is the maximum I can bet on one hand of Mississippi Stud?
Ten times your ante: the ante plus three raises of up to 3x the ante each.
How often should I fold in Mississippi Stud?
With optimal strategy, you fold in roughly 44% of hands. Folding weak hands early is part of correct play.
Information checked October 2026. Real-money online casino games are legal only in states that license them, and only for players aged 21+ who are physically located in those states. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Sources and how we checked this guide
Odds and house-edge figures come from published mathematical analyses and state regulations, checked in October 2026. Online casino rules and pay tables vary by game and operator, so always open the game’s help or paytable screen before you play.
