Poker is a collection of several card games and their variations. Every game has its own set of rules to decide for which hand is the best and who wins the game according to the rules. One of those card games is the extremely popular Caribbean Stud Poker. It is available for playing on all the Poker online game platforms or online casino games. The Caribbean Stud Poker is a gripping game which has been popular since its inception due to its generous payouts, easy to understand rules and fair odds. In this game, you play against the house and not against the fellow players, and hence, there cannot be any case of bluffing. Let us first find out the rules of playing this game.
Rules of playing Caribbean Stud Poker
- The very first thing to do while playing this video Poker online game would be to place an initial bet. This bet is a mandatory bet which all players have to make and is known as “Ante”. (minimum is $5 or $10)
- After all the players have placed their mandatory ante bets, each player gets a set containing 5 cards by the dealer, and the dealer puts one set in front of himself or herself.
- The dealer then flips the top card in his or her set, after which the players can have a look at their cards.
- Now, its time for the players to judge how good or bad their set or hand is.
- There are two options for the players at this point of time after having a look at their cards: to fold or to play on.
- If the player decides to fold, he or she has to forfeit the ante bet (and the side bet, if made) as well as the hand to the house.
- If the player decides to play on, he or she has to place another bet which is equivalent to double the amount which was placed in the ante bet.
- Once each player decides one of the two options to go ahead, the dealer flips over all the cards in his or her set and then one can determine whether he or she has beaten the dealer’s hand or not.
- If the dealer wins, the player loses the ante bet as well as the raised bet.
- If the player wins, the ante will pay even money to the player and the raise will pay money according to the strength of the hand, as per the pay tables.
- However, in the case of a tie both ante and raise will be pushed.
Strategies which can be adopted while playing the Caribbean Stud Poker
- The player should always raise when he or she holds a hand which is ranked higher at one pair or better in a hope to beat the dealer further in the game.
- The player should always fold when his or her own hand is ranking lesser than the dealer’s minimum qualifying hand of the ace/king.
- If the player has AK and the dealer’s upcard is a queen or a card lower than that, it is advised to bet further.
The concept of progressive bets in the Caribbean stud poker
When the players choose to play Poker online and go ahead with the Caribbean Stud Poker, one of the reasons is the possibility of cracking the progressive bet jackpot.
The players are allowed to place progressive bets once they have placed the ante bets and the dealer has pushed. These side bets can help the player win huge amounts. The cost of betting progressively adds up every time you place a bet, and hence, they should be placed after making some calculated guesses. In case of hitting the progressive jackpot, the player gets paid irrespective of the status of qualification of the dealer in the game.
Payout tables in Caribbean Stud Poker
When the player beats the dealer by having a better hand than the dealer, the player is given back the money equivalent to his or her ante bet, and if he or she had a raise bet, then the payment for the same is made according to the following table.
A typical Caribbean Stud Poker paytable looks like:
| Hands | Pays |
| Royal Flush | 100 – 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 – 1 |
| 4 of a kind | 20 – 1 |
| Full house | 7 – 1 |
| Flush | 5 -1 |
| Straight | 4 -1 |
| 3 of a kind | 3 -1 |
| 2 pairs | 2 -1 |
| One pair | 1 -1 |
Caribbean Stud Poker is one of the best online poker games due to its simple structure and higher possibilities to win a good amount of payouts. It has been trending in the online poker UK community since long. Before playing, the players are advised to clear their basics when it comes to the rules of the game and the understanding of allotment of pay outs depending upon their hand. This is to ensure that they are prepared and stand a good chance to earn great rewards.