Poker has been around for a couple of centuries and it is currently being played by millions of casino enthusiasts worldwide. One of the more popular variations of the game is Caribbean Stud Poker. If you haven’t tried your hand at it yet – today is your lucky day…
Caribbean Stud Poker is a popular game that’s similar to five-card poker. What makes this game stand out from the crowd is because unlike many other variations of poker, Caribbean Stud is played against the house – not other players.
With no deception and no bluffing, Caribbean Stud is a fairly straightforward game that pits you against the dealer.
Betting
You start off by making a bet, which is called the ante in online Caribbean stud poker. You also have the option to make a separate progressive bet, which is essentially betting on a jackpot. If certain hands turn up – such as a flush, four-of-a-kind, a full house and/or a royal flush – you can cash-in big time but only if you’ve invested into that progressive bet.
Dealing and evaluating cards
The player and the dealer will each receive five cards with the player’s cards all facing down while the dealer has four of their five cards facing down and one turned up. Then you’re able to look at your cards to see whether or not you have a legitimate winning poker hand.
After evaluating your cards, then you make a decision whether to bet more and keep playing or to fold.
Play pairs
One of the tips that many Caribbean stud poker players will tell you is to play any pair you get: that’s right, any pair – regardless of value. On the flip side, it’s advised that you fold any hand where you have less than an ace-king. If you fold, you are out on the ante bet and if you have laid a progressive wager, that is gone as well.
Ante bet and payouts
If you plan to play your hand, you have to make another bet, which is double the amount that you placed on the ante bet. For example, if you bet $5 on the ante bet, your next bet has to be $10. When all players at your table have decided whether they are going to play or fold, the dealer reveals their hand. If the dealer does not have an ace-king, they will fold and the hand is finished. Players still playing Caribbean stud poker will receive even odds on their ante bet but the second bet they made is simply given back to them with no additional winnings.
The dealer has to play his hand if there is at least an ace-king or better, and if your hand beats the dealer’s, you get even odds on the ante bet. But for the secondary bet, you receive 2/1 odds for a pair and it can go all the way up to 100/1 for a royal flush.
Those are just the basic rules for online Caribbean stud poker and with a few hands, you will figure out more complex strategies to get the better of the house.