The on-loan Leeds United midfielder's strike was enough for the Potters to pick up three vital points against a Hammers side lacking attacking ideas.
They may have started in ninth and 22nd places but there was nothing to choose between these two sides during the early exchanges. Indeed, the Potters shaded it by peppering David James with a string of long-range efforts.
After a dour opening first 30 minutes the game finally spluttered into life when Wayne Thomas was booked for body-checking Hayden Mullins and David Connolly then placed the resultant 18-yard free-kick onto Ed de Goey's left-hand post.
But, as the Hammers cursed their luck, Stoke plunged them deeper into trouble when Ade Akinbiyi broke upfield and invited the supporting Richardson to side foot home from ten yards.
Those two brief flashes of inspiration would prove to be the only highlights of a truly awful first half, which even saw the fourth official booed for trying to prolong the agony with the signalling of an extra minute's stoppage time.
The second-half introduction of Kevin Horlock and Don Hutchison failed to spark the Hammers into life.
With 20 minutes left, Hutchison volleyed Michael Carrick's well-flighted corner wide from 20 yards.
While that was the closest West Ham came to finding the net, at the other end, John Eustace nearly doubled the embarrassment when his dipping 80th minute 20-yard effort rattled the crossbar.
Pulis said: "We were solid and didn't allow them to create many chances. We are very pleased after some disappointing performances in recent months. It is our night tonight."