# Why is Stud illegal in Europe **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 28, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315 "2012-05-28T03:42:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/1 "2012-05-28T03:42:54Z")
With the WSOP starting, I saw it reiterated that Stud is illegal in Europe. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/2 "2012-05-28T08:12:39Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > With the WSOP starting, I saw it reiterated that Stud is illegal in Europe. Why? You will have to be clearer about what you mean by “Europe”. Also, do you mean online gambling? playing the game at home? Casino? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/3 "2012-05-28T08:18:58Z")
In a Casino, and at least in France and Britain. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/4 "2012-05-28T13:17:36Z")
[They have 5 + 7 card Stud in the first UK Casino I looked at.](http://www.gentingpoker.com/5card-stud) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/5 "2012-05-28T16:03:25Z")
I’d never heard this about Europe, only about [California](http://www.normandiecasino.com/communtiyandhistory.htm) before, IIRC, 1985? (Was it earlier?) The theory was that the gambling statutes banned games of chance, not games of strategy. In Draw Poker, you decided which cards to keep and which to discard, whereas in Stud, you didn’t have a choice about which cards you got. This was enough for TPTB to classify Draw as a game of strategy, and legal, while Stud and Hold 'Em were games of chance, and illegal. This is really funny, of course, as IMHO, it takes a lot more skill to play Stud than Draw. It certainly takes a lot more quick memorization. But that’s the logic behind CA’s banning of Stud Poker. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/6 "2012-05-28T16:14:46Z")
Upon thinking it over it seems that Stud actually requires the most skill of any poker variant I cant think of because it requires relatively high skill at managing luck (i.e. adaptation), bluffing, and math considering you have more information at your hands than most other games. Omaha is up there, too. Whereas draw is pure bluff and luck, which is important but not very well rounded. I feel the same about texas hold 'em, too, but there is at least a modicum of math involved there. What’s crazy about stud is that you can have a 90% chance of having the best hand but can rarely be sure of having the guts, since chances are someone will have a pair of the same suit showing. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-stud-illegal-in-europe/623315/7 "2012-05-28T19:28:52Z")
ETA: forgot to add that there’s also always the chance of a boat. But since it is so rare to actually convert one from the three hole cards, I’d like to think I’m good enough at reading hands to work around that offhand chance.