5-Card Stud games can be wild and unpredictable and often won by a low pair, or even just a high card. However, that doesn't mean that starting hand selection is not important and players should always try to avoid going into pots with poor and sub-standard starting hands.
Here's a guide to the best starting hands in 5-Card Stud;
Any Pair: It is obvious that any starting pair is going to be a great starting hand in 5-card Stud and the higher the pair the better. If you've got a pair of Ace's you're in an extremely strong position. With low pairs though, such as those between 2-2 and 5-5, you need to make three of a kind or two pair quite quickly as these hands are very likely to get beaten by a higher pair.
Two High Cards: If you don't have a pair then two high cards are the next best thing, with A-K suited being the pick of the bunch. An Ace and a King give you the chance to make a very strong pair and also offer the possibility of both a straight and a flush.
Two Cards Higher Than the Board: You may only be holding a Q-10 off-suit but if nobody else has an upturned card of a high value than those two then you should consider this a playable hand.
Hole Card Higher Than The Highest Visible Upturned Card: This is your classic 'Ace in the Hole' scenario, though a King is also a good card to have hidden if nobody else is showing a King or an Ace.
Two Suited Cards: If you have two suited cards then it goes without saying that you are 40% of the way towards a flush. You should only really be playing high ranked suited cards as these give you a great chance to also hit a high pair if you miss your flush.
Two Connected Cards: Connectors in 5-Card Stud are a far less viable proposition than they are in Texas Hold'em. If you can get into the action cheaply though then this is a playable hand. You should only be playing high ranked connecting cards, as these again at least give you a chance to make a high pair should you miss your straight.
How to Play Your Starting Hands
Unless you're holding a pair of aces there is little room to start getting cute and fancy in 5-Card Stud. Giving your opponents free cards might see even a great starting hand like K-K get overtaken when somebody playing A-3 draws another Ace.
Slow-playing all but the very strongest hands is a very risky policy. Therefore make sure you bet your pairs by raising and try to narrow the field. The less people you're up against the less chance that someone will out-draw you. If opponents do want to chase their hands then make them pay dearly to do so.
If you've got two high cards in your starting hand then don't be afraid to bet them early on, as if you're holding a pair. It will let you know where you stand if your bets don't shake off your opponents. As with an 'Ace in the Hole' don't get too attached to your high cards if they don't make a pair and your opponents are playing at you strongly.
If you are playing suited or connecting cards then it is important that you only do so if they are of a high ranks, probably 10's or higher. The odds are strongly against you making a flush or a straight in 5-Card Stud, so in the likelihood that you'll miss those draws it is advisable to have high cards that may instead make a high pair that could give you a winning hand.
When you're looking to make a hand such as a straight or a flush then the optimum strategy is to try and see the next card for free if you can. Straights and flushes are hard to hit and you don't want to be paying too much to draw to them.