Caribbean Stud Poker Crash Course
I thought I would sit down and write a quick course to playing Caribbean Stud online poker. Caribbean Stud Poker is an easy game to learn. It´s what some of us in the gambling world would call a “Carnival Game”, because the house has a sizable advantage (over 5%). However, the game is fun to play and it can be a great social event if you are playing at a traditional brick and mortar casino. I have taught others to play Caribbean Stud Poker in minutes – so lets get to it.
The Caribbean Stud Poker Scene
The first thing to know is that the game is you verses the dealer. Other players at the table are not relevant. To play a hand, the player must put a wager in the ANTE spot. Caribbean Stud Poker has three wager points – ANTE, BET and the progressive jackpot slot. The game uses one 52-card deck and each player, including the dealer, is dealt five cards. Placing a bet in the progressive jackpot slot makes you eligible for progressive jackpot hand payoffs.
Playing Caribbean Stud Poker
The game starts when you place an initial bet in the ANTE spot and receive your five cards. The dealer will have one card showing (also known as an up card). If you want to play the progressive jackpot, you need to place $1 in the slot before the hand starts. Once you take your five cards, it´s time to evaluate your hand. If you feel your hand can beat the dealers hand, you must place a wager that´s equal to two times your ANTE wager on the BET spot. If your original ANTE wager was $5, then you would place $10 onto the BET position. You also have the option to fold and simply lose your ANTE wager.
There´s one important feature of the game to know. The dealer must have a hand equal to or better than AK (Ace and a King). If not, the dealer does not qualify and only the ANTE wager is paid. Your BET wager is simply returned to you. This can be really frustrating when you are dealt a monster hand and end up losing out on your big payoff. When the round is over, all hands are evaluated and the winners are paid. Your BET wager will be paid according to the hand you had. Here´s the payoff table that most casinos use.
Caribbean Stud Poker Payoff Table
One Pair or Less: 1x bet
Two Pair: 2x bet
Three of a Kind: 3x bet
Straight: 4x bet
Flush: 5x bet
Full House: 7x bet
Four of a Kind: 20x bet
Straight Flush: 50x bet
Royal Flush: 100x bet
Caribbean Stud Progressive Jackpot
As I mentioned earlier, the dealer must have a qualifying hand for your BET wager to be paid odds. If you had a Royal Flush and the dealer did not qualify, you would not be paid. One way to avoid this is to play the progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpot pays on hands of a Flush or higher. The dealer does not need to qualify either. While the progressive jackpot is really an additional sucker bet, it can be a lifesaver if you hit a big hand. Here´s an example progressive jackpot payoff schedule.
Flush: $50-$100
Full House: $75-$200
Four of a Kind: $100-$500
Straight Flush: 10% of the jackpot amount.
Royal Flush: 100% of the jackpot amount.
Caribbean Stud Poker – Have Fun!
You are now ready to play this very simple game. If you are going to play in a traditional casino, be sure to ask the dealer for the rules. For example, you can examine your cards, but once you put them down, you can´t pick them up again. In the online gambling world, this is not an issue. I would recommend playing some free Caribbean Stud Poker online first to get the hang of the game and then go out and try to win some money.
