Caribbean Stud Poker Online is a game that effectively meshes the traditional five-card stud poker game together with a classic casino table game, but you play against the house rather than other players. Our free Caribbean Stud poker game guide teaches you how you can play and practice without having to gamble with your own money. So, if you’re a poker lover who doesn’t enjoy bluffing, we recommend that you read our Online Guide below to help you discover the rules, strategy and how to manage your bankroll.
About Online Caribbean Stud Poker
The rules of Caribbean Stud Poker are simple, especially if you already understand poker. Even if you don’t play poker all you need to know is the rank of poker hands and you can get started playing almost immediately.
Get ready to play Caribbean Stud Poker by reading through the following quick guide including the basic rules, how the game works both live and online, and a few strategy tips to help you maximize your profit.
Whatever happens, once you have made the most of the free game, it is time to join a casino, put your skills to the test and win some real money. Use the list below to find the best online casinos that offer Caribbean Stud Poker.
Pros & Cons of Caribbean Stud Poker
PROS
- The dealer has to qualify, which doesn’t happen approximately 23% of the time (this is statistically the amount that the dealer will not be eligible to play, resulting in even money for the player).
- Caribbean Stud is one of the simpler and most fun online poker variants.
- You can find variants with progressive jackpot side bets that up the ante even more!
- You can enjoy Caribbean Stud in live dealer variants because it’s such a popular game.
CONS
- The dealer has to qualify, which doesn’t happen approximately 23% of the time (this is statistically the amount that the dealer will not be eligible to play, resulting in even money for the player).
- Caribbean Stud is one of the simpler and most fun online poker variants.
- You can find variants with progressive jackpot side bets that up the ante even more!
- You can enjoy Caribbean Stud in live dealer variants because it’s such a popular game.
Caribbean Stud Poker Facts:
- The game is loosely based on poker, however, in Caribbean Stud Poker two hands are formed by the player;
- The hand rankings are the same as they are in Poker;
- Payouts can be extremely generous;
- The house edge of this particular game is about 5%.
Caribbean Stud Poker Rules
Fundamentally, the aim of the game in this poker variant is to beat the dealer’s 5-card hand with your 5-card hand to capture the prize and walk away with the bounty. Of course, in order to do this, you’ll first have to know the rules!
How To Play Caribbean Stud Poker
When you play Caribbean Stud Poker online for free, it’s the same as playing for real money – you’ll still lay bets and use chips – but the key difference is that you won’t get the payout at the end of the round. The main benefit of this is free practice and as poker is a game of skill, knowing how to play is the key to winning more.
1 Bets and Cards
The game starts with an ante bet. Each player who bets gets 5 face-down cards and 5 for themselves, but with the last card, face-up, known as the hole card.
2 Assess & Move
Once the dealer has their cards, you can look at yours and decide what to do, either folding and exiting the round or doubling your ante bet to continue. Folding means losing your original bet
3 Dealer’s Turn
AKA “The Showdown”, it’s now the dealer’s turn to look at their cards. The dealer’s hand must qualify for the round, which gives the player an edge. For the dealer’s hand to qualify, it must contain an Ace-King or higher. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, you’ll get an even money payout.
4 Dealer Qualifies
If the dealer qualifies and you have the higher hand, you’ve won and will get a payout according to the hand you have. If the dealer has the higher hand, you lose your bet.
Did You Know The History of Caribbean Stud Poker?
It was first introduced in the 1980s in the King International Casino and soon after spread to the likes of other Casinos located in the Caribbean and also become highly popular on cruise ships. Soon after in the 1990s, it was adopted by Las Vegas Casinos and added a progressive jackpot feature to the game to further entice gamblers to play the game.
Caribbean Stud Poker Gameplay & Free Play
Caribbean Stud Poker is a very popular table game you’ll find in both land-based and online casinos even at live dealer casinos online. The core of the game is basically 5-Card Stud poker – a game you’ve likely played around the kitchen table with your grandparents.
Unlike most of the popular poker games these days like Texas Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, though, your opponent in Caribbean Stud Poker is actually the house — not the other players at the table. Two other major differences between Caribbean Stud Poker and “standard” poker? You don’t get a chance to draw and improve your hand and bluffing is completely irrelevant.
Can You Bluff During The Game?
Although the original game of poker allows players to bluff as part of their strategy when playing against other players, this casino poker variant allows its player to leave their poker face unused. This is because if you opt to play the game, you’ll only be playing against the house. So, you’re not going to have to fool anyone!
The Caribbean Stud Deal
You can play Caribbean Stud Poker live or at online casinos. All you need to do is sit down and place a bet on the ante circle. You can also place a one-dollar side bet for the progressive jackpot. In our free Caribbean Stud Poker game, those are free dollars, of course. More on progressive jackpots below. Once placing the ante bet the player and dealer both get five cards. The player can see all of his cards and one of the dealers. At this point, the player determines if he thinks he has a better five-card poker hand than the dealer.
If he thinks he does the player puts a raise bet up. This raise bet is an additional bet equal to twice the ante. If he doesn’t think his hand can beat the dealer the player folds and forfeits his ante. If the player raises, there’s a showdown and the player with the highest poker hand wins. Here’s a quick reminder of the standard poker hand rankings:
| Hand | Description of Hand | Cards in Hand | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | Five suited high cards in a sequence. | 10 ♥ – J ♥ – Q ♥ – K ♥ -A ♥ | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | Five Cards in sequence all of the same suit. | 3 ♠ – 4 ♠ – 5 ♠ – 6 ♠ – 7 ♠ | 50:1 |
| Four-of-a-Kind | Four Cards of the same value. | 10 ♦ – 10 ♠ – 10 ♥ – 10 ♣ – 4 ♦ | 20:1 |
| Full House | Three cards of the same value and two cards of another denomination. | J ♥ – J ♥ – 4 ♥ – 4 ♥ – 4 ♥ | 7:1 |
| Flush | Five suited cards. | 2 ♥ – 6 ♥ – 9 ♥ – Q ♥ – K ♥ | 5:1 |
| Straight | Five unsuited cards in a sequence. | 3 ♥ – 4 ♣ – 5 ♦ – 6 ♠ – 7 ♣ | 4:1 |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same value which are not of the same denomination. | 9 ♣ – 9 ♥ – 9 ♥ – 6 ♠ – 2 ♥ | 3:1 |
| Two Pairs | Two sets of cards of the same value and any fifth card. | 4 ♥ – 4 ♣ – J ♠ – J ♥ – 9 ♥ | 2:1 |
| Pair | Two unsuited cards of the same denomination. | 10 ♥ – 10 ♠ – 2 ♥ – 7 ♠ – 9 ♥ | 1:1 |
| High Card | A hand containing an Ace or a King. | A ♥ – 3 ♣ – 7 ♥ – 9 ♣ – 4 ♥ | 1:1 |
The Showdown in Caribbean Stud Poker
The dealer reveals his hand and looks to see if he has Ace-King high or better. If the dealer has an ace and a king in his hand or has any pair, straight or flush, he has a qualifying hand. If he does not have a qualifying hand the player wins even money on the ante bet, even if the dealer’s hand is better. No one wins the raise bet. If the dealer does have a qualifying hand there is a comparison of hands. Whoever has the better poker hand wins. If it’s the dealer, the player forfeits the raise and ante. If it’s the player he gets even money on the ante and is paid on the raise according to a predetermined paytable. Bigger hands get a bigger payout.
How to Win Progressive Jackpots in Caribbean Stud Poker
The table layout features marked spots that dictate where players must place their antes to be eligible to participate in the hand. The progressive jackpot feature of the game can be opted for before the dealer announces, “No more bets.” To play the progressive jackpot drop a chip in the slot, which turns on the light for that seat for the duration of the current hand. If you get a royal flush, you win whatever is in the progressive jackpot pool. The progressive jackpot pool can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you’re dealt other strong hands, like a flush, full house, or straight flush, you may get a smaller portion of the pool depending on the rules for the particular game.
Free Caribbean Stud Poker and Betting Strategy Tips
Like all casino games, the aim of Caribbean Stud is to win. As it’s a game of skill, the best way to improve your odds of winning is to understand the game, know how to play, and employ strategy to guide your moves. Here’re our top 5 strategy tips to help you achieve just that. Be sure to check out our comprehensive Caribbean Stud Strategy page for a more thorough look into the tips and tricks of the game.
Learn the Hands
The most important strategy tip for online poker is to know the hands and payouts before you play. You can study a traditional poker hands guide or play in free mode to learn as you along – free video poker variants are particularly handy for this.
Don’t Bet on Weak Hands
The first move you’ll make after the ante bet is to look at your cards. If you have a weak hand, don’t bother doubling your bet to continue the round, it’s better to exit early and fold. A weak hand is any that doesn’t have an A/K in it and isn’t any one of the hands mentioned above.
Don’t Fold Too Easily
Deciding whether to fold or call is one of the most critical assessments you’ll make during a round of Caribbean Stud. While calling on a pair as above might not seem like the best idea, remember you will go head against the dealer’s hand for the highest hand if the dealer qualifies, which statistically doesn’t happen 23% of the time or one in every four hands.
Caribbean Stud Money Management
Bankroll Management is a crucial factor that determines how much money you’ll potentially be able to pocket at the end of a game. Rather than betting instinctively and haphazardly, you can opt to use a Betting Strategy or Money Management system instead. Much of the time a player who starts off with lady luck by his/her side will not necessarily win the pot of gold as the game may turn sour at any given moment if you’re dealt a bad hand. Remember, it is usually the person with the best money management skills who comes out on top in the game!
Casino Bonuses
Most of the time, your preferred casino will offer you some sort of bonus. We recommend that you take advantage of these bonuses in order to increase your bankroll.
VIP Bonuses
If you’re a high roller, you’ll be able to benefit from great VIP Bonuses. The more money you deposit, the better your VIP Bonus will be. Have a look at our High Roller Casinos page in order to find out more about these fantastic bonuses.
Avoid Bad Bets
The worst bets are the progressive jackpot side bets. Very often the house will hold an approximate edge of 25-35% on a progressive side bet which is extremely high.
Become a Caribbean Stud Poker Star by Playing Our Free Games
The great news is that if you opt to play our game there’s no catch, as you won’t be required to pay a single cent or sign up to any US online casino So, what are you waiting for? Now that you know the rules and strategies involved, you should definitely give it a go!
Caribbean Stud Poker Terms
Caribbean Stud Poker is a game that is heavily based on the rules of the cherished classic table game Poker. Yet, the simple difference between the two is that whilst you play against other players in Poker, in Caribbean Stud Poker you play against the dealer instead. Before you dive straight into playing this casino game which will have you entertained for hours on end, we recommend that you learn all the Caribbean Stud Terms as well as a read-through of our Game Guide.
A
Ace-King: An Ace-King is a five-card Caribbean Stud Hand that is less valuable than a pair, however, due to being composed of high-ranking cards an Ace and a King are more valuable than a high hand.
Ante Bet: This term is used to refer to the initial obligatory bet that a player must place at the start of the Caribbean Stud Poker Game.
B
Bankroll: This word makes reference to the amount of money a player has dedicated to playing Caribbean Stud Poker or any other casino game for that matter. In playing a casino game, a gambler should pay attention to managing his/her bankroll in order to control how much he/she is betting. Learn more about managing your bankroll by reading CasinoTop10’s Caribbean Stud Poker Money Management page.
Beef: A beef arises when the wager placed is problematic in nature. This claim typically involves the Caribbean Stud Poker dealer as well as the player.
Bet: A bet is also referred to as a wager or the raise option present in the game.
Bonus Payout: This refers to the amount that is paid to the player when he places a raised bet and the dealer qualifies. A Bonus payout is different to a progressive jackpot payout in Caribbean Stud Poker.
C
Chips: At the casino, your cash is converted to chips. This essentially simplifies the betting process and aids people in managing their cash a lot easier.
Call: The term ‘call’ refers to a maneuver that is used in Caribbean Stud Poker which in essence indicates that the player will not be forfeiting his/her hand and will continue playing. Once the player calls he/she will have to bet twice the amount of his/her ante bet.
D
Deal: This is the action is performed by the dealer when he/she gives out 5 cards to each player at the table and then deals himself/herself 1 card which is face up and 4 other cards which lie face down.
Dealer: This word is attributed to the person employed by the casino who gives out the cards.
F
Flush: A flush is the 5th best hand you can acquire in a game of Caribbean Stud Poker and is made up of 5 cards of the same suit.
Fold: Folding cards refer to when a player abandons his/her Caribbean Stud Poker hand.
Four of a kind: A hand which is called a four of a kind hand consists of four unsuited cards of equal value. For example King- King- King- King- Ace. This is the 3rd best hand in the game.
Full House: This is the 4th best hand in Caribbean Stud Poker which consists of 3 cards of equal rank and another two cards of equal rank.
H
High Card: Any card which is of higher value than the dealer’s cards are considered to be a high card. Essentially, this is the lowest-ranking hand you can have.
M
Mechanic: This term refers to a dealer who cheats.
P
Pair: A pair or one pair occurs when you have a card that is equal to one of the cards the dealer has exposed. This is the 9th best hand you can have whilst playing the game.
Pit boss: A pit boss is someone who oversees the casino gaming area in order to make sure that nobody is attempting to cheat.
Progressive bet: This term is used to refer to a $1 side bet which pays out a set amount depending on the hand ranking and the rules at the particular casino you choose to play at. The proceeds of this bet go into a progressive jackpot which pays out to the player who is dealt a royal flush.
Progressive Jackpot: A progressive jackpot is the entire amount of cash that has accumulated as a result of the progressive bets at the Caribbean Stud Table. Generally, 100% of the progressive jackpot is paid out to the player who is dealt a royal flush.
Push: This word is used to describe when a tie occurs between the player and the dealer in a Caribbean Stud Poker game. Moreover, this term is also used in other games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, etc.
R
Raise Bet: This is also referred to as a wager.
Royal flush: Just like in the original game of Poker, the highest-ranking hand in Caribbean Stud is a Royal Flush. The suited hand consists of high-ranking cards which are 10, Jack, Queen, King, and an Ace.
S
Straight: A straight bears reference to a hand situation in which the five cards which are dealt out can be combined in a chronological manner, for example, 4-5-6-7.
Straight flush: A straight flush is the second-best hand you can have in Caribbean stud poker which is made up of 5 suited cards in a sequence.
Suit: The term ‘suit’ refers to cards that either have hearts, clubs, spades, or diamonds. When someone speaks of a hand made up of suited cards, he/she is talking about a hand of cards that all have the same symbols on them.
T
Tapping Out: Tapping out occurs when a player loses the entire bankroll and cannot continue playing.
Three of a Kind: The 7th best hand in the game which includes 3 cards of the same rank.
Two Pair: Typically, a two-pair consists of a hand of two cards that are of the same value. These can be suited or unsuited.
U
Up Card: This term is used in order to refer to the card which is facing up among the five that are dealt. Take a look at this card would help you determine how much you’d like to bet.
Caribbean Stud Poker FAQs
How do you win at Caribbean poker?
In Caribbean poker, players win simply by besting the dealer’s hand. Hand values are the same as in other versions of poker, with Royal Flush, Straight Flush, and Four of a Kind being the highest ranking. The amount of money won will depend on the ranking of the hand. Players can also win the ante bet without doing anything if the dealer’s hand fails to qualify.
What are the odds on Caribbean poker?
Caribbean poker has a return-to-player rate of around 97%. For the ante bet, players win even money if the dealer fails to qualify or if they beat the dealer’s hand. Players also get to place a bet after receiving their cards, and how much they win from this bet will be determined by their hand ranking. Ace-King or Pair wins 1:1, Two Paid wins 2:1, Three of a Kind wins 3:1, Straight wins 4:1, Flush wins 5:1, Full House wins 7:1, Four of a Kind wins 20:1, Straight Flush wins 50:1, and Royal Flush wins 100:1
How often does the dealer qualify in Caribbean Stud?
In Caribbean Stud poker, the dealer’s hand must be Ace-King or better in order to qualify. If the dealer’s hand fails to qualify, the player is paid even money on the ante but receives their second bet back. According to probability, the dealer will qualify 56.3% of the time.
What online casinos have Caribbean Stud Poker?
All the casinos on this page have Caribbean Stud Poker. Our list compiles all the most reputable casinos which usually have several variations of Caribbean Stud. If you wish to practice Caribbean Stud for free head to our Free Caribbean Stud game page.
Is Mississippi Stud the same as Caribbean Stud?
Mississippi Stud poker is similar to Caribbean Stud, but it has several key differences. For example, in Mississippi Stud, there are up to three rounds of betting compared to just one for Caribbean Stud. In addition, the player’s hand isn’t compared to the dealer’s hand, but instead, payouts are simply determined by the payout table. Payouts are also different, with players able to win with a pair of Jacks or better, while a pair of sixes to tens would be a push bet. Anything lower than this is a loss. The Royal Flush payout is larger too, rewarding the player with 500:1.
Best Caribbean Stud Poker Casinos!
