Caribbean Stud Poker

Rules

caribbeanstudpoker_en The biggest difference between Caribbean Stud Poker and other famous variations such as Texas Hold'em is that you play against the dealer (aka the bank), like in Black jack rather than facing multiple opponents.
Up to seven players can sit at a table in Caribbean Stud Poker. In order to participate in a hand players need to place a predetermined small bet called the “ante”, only after paying this fee will the player get fife cards facing down. These fife cards are the ones you need to make your game with, as they cannot be exchanged for other cards. The dealer also takes fife cards of which four are facing down and one, the last one dealt is face open. Any money won by the dealer goes into the jackpot.

Betting

If a player thinks that he does not have a chance to win against the dealer, he should fold his cards; in which case he looses his ante. In the case he thinks that he can beat the dealer, he must place a bet of two times the ante. It is important to note that there is no bluffing involved in Caribbean Stud Poker, as the dealer never folds.

Poker Hands

Such as with all poker games, there is a hand ranking in Caribbean Stud Poker as follows (starting with the best possible hand):
Royal Flush - An Ace-High straight of one suit.
Straight Flush - A straight of entirely one suit.
Four-of-a-Kind (Poker) - Four cards of the same rank.
Full House - Three-of-a-kind and a pair.
Flush - Five cards of the same suit.
Straight (Run) - Five cards of sequential rank.
Three-of-a-Kind (Trips, Set) - Three cards of the same rank.
Two Pair - Two cards of the same rank and another two cards of the same rank. The example below would be called "Jacks and Twos".
One Pair - Two cards of the same rank.
High Card - When you don't have any of the above, your highest card determines your hand. The example below would be "King High" or "High card King".

Strategy

In order for the dealer to qualify to play a hand against the player, two of his cards must be at least an ace and a king, even if he cannot make a hand with the rest of the cards.
The player has a multitude of strategies he can apply to the game. If he is not able to make a hand out of his fife cards, and does not have at least an ace and a king, we recommend folding. With an ace and a king there is at least a realistic chance for a “push”, meaning that the initial bet is returned, rendering neither win nor loss.
If a player holds a pair, he should play it, as pairs no matter what amount win in more that half the cases. A player can of course consider folding a low pair, in case the dealer’s open-faced card is higher than the pair. A player could also check if he holds the same card as the dealer, as he would greatly reduce the chances of the dealing building a pair with that card. With every hand two pairs and higher a player should always play.

Payout

If a player has a better hand than the dealer he will receive a payout, which depends upon the The amount of payout depends upon the wagered amount (ante plus 2x ante). Lets say that a player wagered $6 and won with a pair or less, his winning will be $12, a rate of 1:1. The payout structure is set as follows:
Royal Flush – 100:1
Straight Flush – 50:1
Four-of-a-Kind (Poker) – 20:1
Full House – 7:1
Flush – 5:1
Straight (Run) – 4:1
Three-of-a-Kind (Trips, Set) – 3:1
Two Pair – 2:1
One Pair or less – 1:1

Jackpot

On top of the regular winnings a player might hit the jackpot, if he places side bets. It is not important, if his hand beats the dealer’s hand. You will find the following payout structure in most US casinos as followed:
Flush - 50$
Full House - 100$
Four-of-a-Kind - 500$
Straight Flush - 10% of the Jackpot
Royal Flush - 100% of the Jackpot

History

Caribbean Stud Poker has become more and more popular. In the 1980s Caribbean Stud Poker was played on cruise ships that sailed trough the Caribbean. From there the game made it to the mainland in the 1990s and eventually to Las Vegas.