Caribbean Stud
Caribbean Stud Poker is a table game that is played with each player against the dealer. The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and the object of the game is to make a better 5 card poker hand than the dealer.
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How to Play
Play begins with players making an ante bet, as well as an optional $1 progressive jackpot side bet. Then all of the players receive 5 cards face down and the dealer receives 4 down cards and 1 up card. The player then must decide whether to fold and surrender the ante bet or to raise. If the player decides to raise he must raise double the ante bet. The dealer will then turn over his other four cards. The dealers hand must be at least Ace-King high to qualify. This means that the worst hand the dealer can qualify with is (A,K,4,3,2). If the dealer does not qualify the player wins 1 to 1 on the ante bet and the raise bet is pushed. If the dealer does qualify and has the best hand then the dealer wins both the player ante and raise bets. If the dealer qualifies and has the worse hand then the player wins both the ante bet and the raise bet. The ante bet pays 1 to 1 and the raise bet pays out based on the following:
Royal Flush pays 100 to 1
Straight Flush pays 50 to 1
Four of a Kind pays 20 to 1
Full House pays 7 to 1
Flush pays 5 to 1
Straight pays 4 to 1
Three of a Kind pays 3 to 1
Two Paid pays 2 to 1
One Pair and Below pays 1 to 1
If the player made the $1 progressive side bet then they also win a portion of the jackpot if they were dealt a flush or better. The payout tables for the progressive jackpot vary from casino to casino, but usually between a flush and a four of a kind earns a set dollar amount, while the straight flush or royal flush earns a percentage of the jackpot.
Example
Let’s say you are dealt (2H,4D,7S,2S,7C). The dealer is showing a JH (even though this doesn’t really matter). In this case you should raise double the amount of the ante. The dealer then flips over his cards and shows that he has a pair of jacks. Your hand wins and you receive 1 to 1 on your ante bet and 2 to 1 on your raise bet. This results in a return of 5 units from a bet of 2 units.
Basic Strategy
In Caribbean stud poker optimal strategy is very complicated and difficult to achieve. However, there are a few basic rules that you should abide by when playing Caribbean stud in order to give yourself the best odds to win.
You should always raise with a pair or higher.
You should always fold with less than Ace-King high.
If you follow these rules while playing Caribbean stud poker you can reduce the element of risk to 2.672%.