Caribbean Stud Poker Guide: Introduction
Caribbean Stud Poker, also called Casino Stud Poker, is one of the most popular poker variations and learning how to play it in the proper way is a good strategy for getting potential bigger winnings. That’s why we at How To Bet have prepared a detailed guide for all of you with expert tips and strategy advice to benefit from.
In this guide you’ll learn Caribbean Stud Poker rules, how the game is set up and how it is played. You’ll also get a crash course in approaching the game with a proven Caribbean Stud Poker strategy so that you increase your chances of winning from the very beginning. All you need to know about Caribbean Stud Poker online will be laid out for you, as will the info on the odds and payouts. This way you will understand better what the Caribbean Stud Poker house advantage is.
That’s not all though. Some of the most useful Caribbean Poker tips will also be made available for you to take advantage of. And a list of the top casino Caribbean Stud Poker bonus offers straight out of our superb online casino index page will get you off on the right foot.
If that sounds like an attractive deal, read on and learn how to play Caribbean Stud so that you can get involved.
The Three Fundamentals of Playing Caribbean Stud Poker
Before we get down to the nitty-gritty of how to play Caribbean Stud, there are a few distinctions that we need to make about this particular variant. First, there is no bluffing at all in Caribbean Stud Poker. It will become clear in due course why poker’s most famous skill is redundant in this game.
Secondly, this is a game where you take on the house. There are no other players in the game for you to worry about.
Finally, there are no further draws to be made in Caribbean Poker. And that’s it. That’s all there is to know about this amazingly simple game.
Caribbean Stud Poker Rules
If you want to learn how to play poker in this specific variation, you must start by knowing the Caribbean Stud Poker rules in full detail. We at How To Bet are here to teach you in a swift and efficient manner.
Play begins with the players betting the table ante before the dealer deals out five cards all face down. The dealer will then deal a 5-card hand face down to themselves with one card laying face up and showing.
At this point, the idea is that players take a look at their hands and decide on whether or not to put down a secondary bet on top of their ante. Card hand strengths are the same as in an actual poker game. This is usually twice the size of their first wager. The other option available is to fold and drop out of the hand altogether.
How Does the Dealer Qualify
As soon as every player has made their move in the Caribbean version of stud poker, the dealer will look at their own hand to determine what happens next. To qualify, the dealer must have a hand that contains at least an Ace-King or better. This means that the lowest possible qualifying dealer hand would be A, K, 4, 3, 2.
If the player and the dealer are holding the same valued hands, then the game is a push, which is the same as a tie, and your stake will be returned.
Alternatively, If the dealer has the better hand, you will lose both the ante bet and your additional bet. If the dealer does not qualify and you placed a secondary bet, you will be paid out even money on the ante bet while the additional bet is considered a push and returned.
If the dealer does qualify and you have made the additional bet, and you have the stronger hand, you will get back evens on your ante plus pre-determined odds on the bet part, according to the following paytable. Note, the Caribbean Stud Poker payouts table can vary slightly depending on the casino.
Caribbean Stud Poker Payouts Table
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | 100/1 |
| Straight Flush | 50/1 |
| Four of a Kind | 20/1 |
| Full House | 7/1 |
| Flush | 5/1 |
| Straight | 4/1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3/1 |
| 2 Pair | 2/1 |
| Pair | 1/1 |
Caribbean Stud Progressive Bet
Very often, there will be the option of making an additional wager that pays into and out of a progressive jackpot. While this wager has no bearing on the main game, it is still a bet on how good your hand will be and must be made before the game begins.
To win it, your five-card hand must be one of the following, regardless of what the dealer holds:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
In this bet, typically, the Royal Flush will win 100% of the progressive jackpot while at the other end of the scale, a Flush would payout around 10% of the progressive jackpot. Generally speaking, it is not worth playing this bet due to the chances of actually making one of those five-card hands being extremely low. Also, the Caribbean Stud Poker house advantage on the progressive jackpot bet is 26%.
5+1 Bonus Bet
Some of the casinos and poker rooms present in our online gambling USA index offer another optional Caribbean Stud Poker side bet called the 5+1 bonus bet. This wager pays out if the player can make at least a three of a kind with their own five cards plus the dealer’s exposed card.
Again, bets are paid out on an escalating scale with a Royal Flush earning the most and paying out up to 1,000x the bet.
How to Determine a Winning Caribbean Poker Hand
In Caribbean Stud Poker, the best five-card hand is the same as the best hand in regular poker games such as Texas Hold'em and Omaha. Your poker hand rankings are listed below:
Poker Hand Rankings
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four-of-a-Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three-of-a-Kind
- Two Pair
- Pair
- High Card
Basic Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy and Tips
- Always play the additional bet with a pair or better. When you're holding at least a pair – preferably high ranking but even with low ranking pairs – then play the additional bet.
- Bet if you have A-K and the dealer shows Q or lower. If you are holding A-K and the dealer’s face-up card is a queen or less, then bet. If the dealer shows an Ace or a King and you have a Queen or a Jack, then play the extra bet.
- Fold with anything less than A-K. If you do not have at least an Ace and a King, fold it and drop out of the hand.
Caribbean Stud Poker House Advantage
The total Caribbean Stud Poker house advantage – the expected loss to the original wager – works out to 5.22%, which may seem a bit high in prima vista. With the right strategy though – follow the expert How To Bet advice, you may reduce the house edge to 2.55%, so you better don’t stop practicing and learning!
Online Poker Room and Casino Caribbean Stud Poker Options
You can play this game in virtually any reputable Caribbean Stud Poker online casino or poker room, but the payout tables will differ from house to house, so pick a favorable one. If you are looking to play a Caribbean Stud poker online free version, this is a good idea and one that will help you heighten your skills.
Fortunately, free play software is provided by just about every casino online. Truthfully though, it is an extremely easy game to get to grips with, and you really should not have problems playing Caribbean Stud Poker.To get you started on the right foot, we at How To Bet have prepared a quite useful list for you. Check out the most attractive Caribbean Stud Poker online casino bonus and promo offers to increase your betting budget. Good luck and use all of the knowledge you gained on this page to helpful bag some big wins.
