Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Poker or Caribbean Stud Poker is a combination of stud style poker and somewhat of a blackjack style game. The game doesn’t really have a specific place of origin, but most believe it developed on cruise ships among the Caribbean Islands. Soon after, Caribbean Poker began hitting the Vegas Strip and popping up in every casino mainly because it was a profitable game for the casinos. Caribbean Poker has a big house advantage, but players began to enjoy the game even more when progressive jackpot features were added to the game. The popularity of the game has been growing ever since and can be found in every casino around the world.

Caribbean Poker may seem a little difficult at 1st and can be a little confusing for players playing the game for the 1st time. However, if you know the basic hand values of poker such as pair, two pair, 3 of a kind, straight, flush, etc, then you understanding the game of Caribbean Poker shouldn’t take to long to learn. Unlike most poker games, Caribbean Poker puts the player up against the dealer instead of other players around the table. The game begins when the player places a wager within the bet box. There is a second option when betting, which is the bonus box. This is an extra bet placed each hand and qualifies the player for a bonus jackpot if the player is dealt certain hand combinations. Once the antes are placed, the dealer will deal the player 5 cards, as well as 5 cards to the dealer himself with 4 cards faced down and 1 card faced up. Depending on the value of the player’s hand, the player can fold or continue to play. If the player decides to fold, the hand is over and the player loses his ante. If the player continues to play, he must decide whether or not he thinks his hand is going beat the dealer’s hand based on the one card up. There is really not much strategy to the game, more of a guess. For the player to continue the hand the player must double his ante with an additional bet, and the dealer will then turn over the remaining cards of his hand and a winning hand will be determined. The dealer’s hand must have a 2 card value out of the 5 cards of AK high to have a qualifying hand. If the dealer doesn’t have at least AK high, the ante will be paid at 1 to 1 odds, and the 2nd wagering bet will be considered a push and returned to the player. If the dealer has a qualifying hand, and the player’s hand is better, then for the 2nd wagering bet, the player is paid out depending on the value of his hand.

Pay tables vary among casinos, but on average, these odds below are usually the going rate for payout. Remember, only if the player’s hand beats the dealer’s qualifying hand will these odds be paid out.

One Pair or less: 1 to 1
Two Pairs: 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

Traditionally, Caribbean Poker is not a high percentage game, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun to play or you can’t win. If you are going to play Caribbean Poker, look for tables that may offer progressive jackpots or extra payouts for certain hand combinations. Usually progressive jackpot tables require an additional bet to placed along with the ante, and odds of hitting bonus pays aren’t very high, but if you get the cards at the right time, you could walk away with thousands more in your pocket!