Caribbean Stud Rules: How to Play Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud Poker was originally introduced to the casino realm in the ‘80s. Since then it has experienced profound growth in popularity the world over. Essentially, what seems to draw casino fans to Caribbean Stud Poker is the fact that it’s not only easy to play but many games also have a progressive jackpot attached to it! So, you as a player can win thousands upon playing the game! If you feel compelled to play this beloved casino game, we recommend you take the time to learn how to play Caribbean Stud Poker first. Have a look below to discover its rules!

Caribbean Stud Poker at Brick and Mortar Casinos vs. Online Casinos

Nowadays, Caribbean Stud Poker is not only played at land based casinos but is also available to play at the majority of online casinos you’ll find scattered all over the net. In both versions of the game, you’ll find that it’s played on semi-circular shaped table that is similar to which is used in Blackjack. However, the difference is fundamentally that whilst at land based casinos the game caters for 7 players to sit at a Caribbean Stud Poker table, the online version only caters for one player.

Caribbean Stud Poker Rules to Follow

Ultimately the primary goal in Caribbean Stud Poker is to beat the dealer at his own game in order to emerge as the champion and walk away with the cash prize. Of course, doing this will entail following the Caribbean Stud Poker Rules you’ve learnt down to the very last detail. The two questions you’re probably asking yourself at the moment is ‘How do You Play Caribbean Stud Poker?’ and ‘Is Caribbean Stud Poker similar to Poker?’ Well, CasinoTop10’s experts are here to guide you through Caribbean Stud Poker Rules. Just take a look below and you’ll be well on your way to learning how to play the game.

How do you play Caribbean Stud Poker Online?

Once you’ve opened the online game and loaded it, you’ll acknowledge that the first thing you’ll need to do is place an initial bet, known as the ‘ante’. Usually, a casino will set a minimum bet as well as a maximum bet. This usually varies according to the casino you’re playing at. At this early stage in the game, you’ll be able to choose whether or not you’d like to be in the running to win the progressive jackpot in Caribbean Stud Poker. In order to do this, you’ll of course have to place a side bet which must be of a specified amount. After you’ve placed your bet on the table, you should then press the ‘Deal’ button. On doing this, you will receive 5 face-up cards from the dealer. The digital casino dealer will then also give out 5 cards to himself which are all face down with the exception of 1 card, which will lie face-up instead. 

During this stage of the game, you’ll then be able to see the cards which have been dealt out to you as well as the dealer’s face-up card. This will lead you to determine whether to fold or call. In substance, if you choose to fold you’ll be forfeiting your hand as well as your ante bet and your progressive bet to the house. Whilst if you opt to call instead, you’ll have to place another bet which is equal to double your ante bet. Once you’ve selected which manoeuvre you’d like to use, the dealer will then flip over his cards and you’ll be able to determine whether you’ve beat the dealer’s hand or not. If you’re familiar with the game of Poker, the hand rankings are the same. However, if you’re not, you can get to know which hand you have by having a look at the table below.

Hand	Description of Hand	Cards Composing the Hand	Payout
Royal Flush	Five suited high cards in a sequence.	10 h – J h – Q h – K h -A h	100:1
Straight Flush	Five Cards in sequence all of the same suit.	3 s – 4 s – 5 s – 6 s – 7 s	50:1
Four-of-a-Kind	Four Cards of the same value.	10 d – 10 s – 10 h – 10 c – 4 d	20:1
Full House	Three cards of the same value and two cards of another denomination.	J h – J h – 4 h – 4 h – 4 h	7:1
Flush	Five suited cards.	2 h – 6 h – 9 h – Q h – K h	5:1
Straight	Five unsuited cards in a sequence.	3 h – 4 c – 5 d – 6 s – 7 c	4:1
Three of a Kind	Three cards of the same value which are not of the same denomination.	9 c – 9 d – 9 h – 6 s – 2 h	3:1
Two Pairs	Two sets of cards of the same value and any fifth card.	4 d – 4 c – J s – J h – 9 h	2:1
Pair	Two unsuited cards of the same denomination.	10 d – 10 s – 2 h – 7 s – 9 h	1:1
High Card	A hand consisting of an Ace or a King.	A h – 3 c – 7 d – 9 c – 4 h	1:1

Caribbean Stud Poker Payouts

Winning the prize in Caribbean Stud Poker depends on the hand you’ve acquired and whether you’ve outranked the dealer’s hand. Have a look below to see on what conditions the house will payout. Provided that the dealer’s hand qualifies, you’ll be able to compare your hand to the dealer’s hands. On the condition that your hand ranks higher than the dealer’s hand, you’ll be able to win on both the ante, which pays even money, as well as your call bet, which pays out according to the table above. Assuming that your hand is lower than the dealer’s hand, you will lose both your ante bet as well as your call bet. In cases in which the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify, the house will pay you 1 to 1 on your ante bet. A non-qualifying hand is essentially one which does not contain an ace-king or higher such as a pair, straight, flush, straight flush and royal flush. In this case, your call bet will result in a ‘push’ which in substance means that nobody will win or lose. Instead, your original bet will just be returned to you.

Progressive Bets in Caribbean Stud Poker

In Caribbean Stud Poker, you’re allowed to place progressive bets which can in hindsight help you win huge amounts you’ve only dreamt would become a reality.

How do Progressive Side Bets Work?

Normally, you’ll be able to place this type of bet after you’ve placed your ante bet and once the dealer pushes. Once you have placed the side bet, the dealer will then press the red button in effect turning a red light on to give you an indication that you’re eligible to win the progressive jackpot. Have a look below in order to find out how much Caribbean Stud Poker Progressive Bets payout. Bear in mind that although these large payouts are definitely alluring, the house edge is often quite large. In fact, most of the time you’ll find that it is a massive 26.46%. So, in retrospect, our experts suggest betting in this way only a couple of times, unless of course you’re prepared to risk it for the biscuit!

Caribbean Stud Poker Progressive Jackpot – Our Expert Opinion

In hindsight, our players turned experts have two differing opinions about placing a progressive side bet in Caribbean Stud Poker. Whilst some players feel that the Progressive Jackpot Bet is a sucker bet that should only be placed if the progressive jackpot is large enough and the risk is worth taking, others feel that placing a bet of this nature must be done in order to make the game more adventurous and enterprising. Have a look at our tips about Caribbean Stud Poker Progressive Jackpot in order to find out more.

Caribbean Stud Poker Progressive Jackpot Tips

Make sure you have a large bankroll if you intend to place a progressive bet

Unless you have a large bankroll it is not entirely worth it to bet progressively throughout a whole Caribbean stud poker game.

Bet progressively when the jackpot is significantly large

Fundamentally, our experts are of the opinion that you should place a side bet if the jackpot is significantly large, as the cost of betting progressively will eventually add up and might end up making you go broke.

Consider the payouts on each hand

Although Caribbean Stud Poker is a game which is heavily based on chance, which means that there isn’t really a way of telling which cards you’ll end up with, you should consider how much the payout is according to the hand you acquire. For example, if you’ve managed to acquire a Royal Flush and have placed a side bet of $1, you’ll receive all of the amount in the progressive jackpot. However, if you didn’t place this bet, your payout will be 100:1.

House Edge in Caribbean Stud Poker

When choosing a casino game to play, you as a player should definitely consider the game’s house advantage. The House Edge or house advantage of a game is typically used to refer to the mathematical advantage that the game as well as the casino has over you as a player as you play over a long span of time. In simple terms, this is defined as the amount you are expected to lose in comparison to the original wager you’ve placed. Most games of chance possess a relatively low house edge of 0-5%. These include games such as the famous table games Blackjack and Baccarat. However, Caribbean Stud Poker has a relatively high house advantage of approximately 5.22%. This is definitely a factor to consider before diving into a game of Caribbean Stud Poker as it’s a reflection of how much you can expect to win.

Caribbean Stud Poker Common Mistakes

Simply reading through CasinoTop10’s Caribbean Stud Poker Rules is often not enough to enable you to win the game. However, knowing where you can go wrong whilst playing the game can definitely help you avoid making the same mistakes others have made in the past. Have a look at our Caribbean Stud Poker Common Mistakes below in order to discover mistakes to avoid whilst playing Poker’s distant cousin; Caribbean Stud Poker.

Making Random Bets

A common mistake made by many players is placing bets at random. You should think about the bet you’re about to place, to see if it’s worth placing or not.

Folding Low Pairs

If you’re a beginner, you’re bound to make this mistake as any pairs which are lower than 5 can scare you into thinking that you’ll definitely lose. However, the simple truth is that a dealer’s hand will only qualify with an ace and a king 44% of the time. So, players will have slightly more than 50% of a chance to beat the dealer whilst holding a low pair. Thus, in hindsight it’s definitely worth staying in the game and chancing it because if you fold, you’ll definitely lose your ante.

Bluffing

If you’re playing Caribbean Stud Poker, you should be aware of the fact that the game does not involve any sort of bluffing unlike its classic counterpart; Poker. So, whilst you’re playing Caribbean Stud Poker, you must remember that this casino game is played against the house rather than other players. So, be sure to avoid unnecessary bluffing!

Playing a Hand consisting of an Ace and Queen

Despite the fact that this hand is often perceived by gamblers who’ve only started playing Caribbean Stud Poker as being a valuable hand, it’s in fact not as powerful as you might think. If you have this hand, you’ll only be able to win provided that the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify.

Not implementing a Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy

Other than sticking to the Caribbean Stud Poker Rules you’ve learnt, you should also seek to implement a strategy which could help you bag the cash and leave the casino all the richer.

Learn Caribbean Stud Poker Rules and Play for Real Money