Caribbean Stud Poker is a very popular table game that has been seeing a lot of casino action for more than 30 years. It is found in nearly every casino that offers table play, and also online. If you know poker hand rankings, it is easy to learn and play.
How to Play
The game is played on a blackjack like table with six or seven seating areas. Each betting area contains three positions to make bets:
- A slot for the optional Progressive Jackpot bet
- An Ante bet box
- A bet (call) box
The objective is for the player to have a higher ranking hand than the dealer.
A standard 52 card deck is used. Before the cards are dealt, all players must make the ante bet. An optional progressive jackpot bet may also be made by inserting a one dollar chip or coin into the appropriate slot. The dealer will then deal five cards face down to each player, and four cards face down and one face up to his or herself.
After players review their hands, they must then make a decision to either call (make an additional wager), or fold, (forfeit the ante and optional jackpot bet). If the player calls, s/he must place an additional wager in the bet box, which must be twice the ante. After collecting the chips from the players that folded, the dealer will then turn over all the cards.
Dealer Qualifier
The dealer must have at least an Ace/King or higher to qualify for play. If the dealer does not qualify, All hands that called will win the ante bet at even money. The call bet becomes a push and will be returned to you.
If the dealer qualifies, the hand is compared to each player’s hand. If dealer beats player, the ante and call bets are lost to the house. If player beats dealer, He or she is paid even money for the ante wager.The call bet is paid according to a pay table depending on the strength of the poker hand as follows:
- One Pair – pays even money
- Two Pair – 2 to 1
- Three of a Kind – 3 to 1
- Straight – 4 to 1
- Flush – 5 to 1
- Full House – 7 to 1
- Four of a Kind – 20 to 1
- Straight Flush – 50 to 1
- Royal Flush – 100 to 1
Payouts may vary between jurisdictions. Most casinos have a maximum table payout. Many are set at $5,000.
The Downside
A drawback for Caribbean Stud Poker is the dealer qualifying requirement. A player may have a very high paying poker hand but if the dealer does not qualify, the player will only win the ante bet at even money.
Progressive Jackpot
Provided the player placed $1.00 in the jackpot slot, the bonus pays to all qualified players that called. The dealer’s hand does not matter. Most progressive jackpots are at least $10,000. Here is one pay table
- Flush – $50
- Full House – $100
- 4 of a Kind – $500
- Straight Flush – 10% of jackpot amount
- Royal Flush – 100% of Jackpot
If two or more players qualify for all or part of the jackpot in the same hand, they will share the jackpot.
Strategy
The following strategy when playing is recommended
- Always call on a pair or higher
- Always fold with less than Ace/King
- Call with an Ace/King if you have a Queen and your fourth highest card is equal to or higher than the dealer’s up card
The house edge is about 5.3% when proper strategy is used.
The house edge for playing the progressive jackpot option is a whopping 26.5%!
Good Luck!
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