Caribbean Stud Poker: Your Ultimate Guide
Caribbean Stud Poker, also known as Casino Stud Poker, is a casino table poker game based on five-card stud poker. Unlike standard poker games, Caribbean Stud Poker is played against the dealer's hand rather than against other players. This guide will provide you with everything you need to know to get started playing Caribbean Stud Poker. We will go through the basic rules, how to play, and the different hand rankings. We will also tell you where you can find the best poker sites to play Caribbean Stud Poker. Let's get started...
The Basics of Caribbean Stud Poker
The main thing you need to know about Caribbean Stud Poker is that it uses standard hand rankings. So if you're familiar with Texas Hold'Em, Omaha or Five-Card Draw, you should be well on your way. We'll go through the hand rankings later.
What distinguishes this version from other poker games is that you play against the house instead of other players. While there may be more people at the table at the same time, everyone is playing against the same dealer. The betting structure is also different from other poker games. Rather than multiple betting rounds, where you can raise and call other players' bets, you must instead place an opening wager, known as an 'ante bet'. There is only one further betting round, where you double your original bet if you wish to continue playing.
After that, five cards are dealt to the player face down. The dealer then deals the house's five-card hand, with one card placed face up. Once the dealer's hand has been dealt, players can look at their cards and decide whether or not to play or fold.
...you play against the house instead of other players
Caribbean Stud Poker Rules
The rules of Caribbean Stud Poker are standard for most casinos and poker sites, but the payouts and betting limits may vary depending on location and site.
To play, each player must place an ante bet on a marked spot on the table. These must be placed before the dealer calls for no more bets to be allowed. Players also have the option of joining the progressive jackpot bet. This also must be done before the dealer starts play. There is usually another designated spot to place your bet for the progressive jackpot.
Play commences with the dealer placing 5 cards in front of each player, face down. The dealer also places five cards in front of him/her, with the last card being face up. After this, the players may look at their cards.
If a player chooses to play, they raise their bet to equal twice the amount of the initial ante. They place this bet on another designated spot, labelled 'bet'. If a player chooses to fold, he/she forfeits their ante. Once all the players have placed their bets, the dealer proceeds to turn up their remaining four cards.
The dealer only qualifies to play, if their hand contains an Ace/king, a pair, or any higher-ranking hand. The dealer's hand is then compared to the player's hand.
If a player's hand beats the dealer, they win the ante and the raise. Depending on the winning hand, the bet can be multiplied. We'll come to the payout and the related hand later.
If a player ties with the dealer, both the ante and the raise return to the respective player. If the dealer's hand does not qualify, the ante gets paid out even money, while the raised bets are returned.
How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker
Now that we have the basics covered, let's follow a standard game:
- The Original Ante Betting Round: To get started, a player must place an opening bet called an ante. A player does this by placing a chip in a designated mark called 'Ante'.
- Optional Progressive Jackpot Bet: A player can also choose to join the progressive jackpot. They do this by placing another chip on the spot labelled progressive jackpot bet.
Once all the players at the table have placed their ante, the dealer calls 'no more bets'.
To commence play, the dealer places five cards in front of the player, face down.
The dealer then proceeds to place five cards in front of him/her, with only the last card facing up. Play then proceeds to... - The Final Betting Round: Once the cards are dealt, and players have had the chance to look at their own cards, they have the opportunity to place a raised bet (a bet equaling double of the original ante) or fold. If a player chooses to raise, he/she places chips on the designated spot, labelled bet.
After the player has placed a raised bet, the dealer then proceeds to turn the remaining four cards face-up. The dealer then compares your hand to theirs.
If the dealer does not have at least an Ace & King, players are paid back even money on their ante wager only. Even money means you get paid back exactly the same amount you put in, along with your initial chip.
If your hand ties with that of the dealer's hand, your ante, along with your raised bet, gets returned to you.
If your hand wins, you receive a payout which depends on the strength of your hand.
Most progressive jackpots pay out the jackpot to a player who has a Royal flush.
Caribbean Stud Game Hand Rankings
The poker hand rankings for Caribbean stud are standard hand rankings.
You can see an overview of the hand rankings, from the strongest to weakest below:
Payout
As we mentioned earlier, if your hand beats the dealer's hand, you always get paid 1 to 1 on your ante. However, on your raised bet, you will only get paid even money if the dealer's hand does not qualify.
If your hand beats the dealer's, and is a two-pair or better, your bet is multiplied according to the strength of your hand.
The following table gives the standard payout for each hand:
| HAND | PAYOUT |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair or Less | Even Money |
| 2 Pairs | 2 to 1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Full House | 7 to 1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 20 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | Maximum Payout |
Did you Know...
Professional poker player, David Sklansky, is alleged to have invented the game in 1982 under the name 'Casino Poker'. The rules of this original game differed slightly from the modern version. For instance, there was no progressive jackpot and the dealer had two cards revealed, instead of one. However, Sklansky could not patent the game due to patent laws. A few years later, a poker player brought the game to the King International Casino (Excelsior Casino) in Aruba and had it patented. The player and the casino altered the rules and created the 'Caribbean stud poker' we know today.
Find Casinos to Play Caribbean Stud Online
If you feel like giving Caribbean stud poker a go but want to get a feel for the game before playing for real money, you can find free versions of this poker game version at any of the top online poker sites in NZ.
Caribbean Stud Poker – Summary
Caribbean Stud is a great poker game to try out if you want to get away from the stress of bluffing and competing against a table of other players. You should always remember that Caribbean Stud Poker does have a house edge. So, while it may be entertaining to try, it can quickly become costly if you play too often. Having said that, with the right crowd it can be quite exciting, and there is always the outside chance of winning the Jackpot.
References:
- Wikipedia. "Caribbean Stud Poker", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_stud_poker
- Youtube. "All American Casino Guide - How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-EZTS85RxI
Noah is the senior content editor at CasinoCrawlers and a writer with many iGaming articles under his portfolio. Therefore, he is skilled at writing bonus guidelines, gambling strategies, and casino reviews. During his spare time, he enjoys playing Call of Duty and is a huge rugby fan.
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