Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean stud poker is a variant of the regular poker game only that instead of relying on the poker face and the bluff, players only rely on the hands that they are dealt with. Strictly speaking, winning does become a stroke of good luck.
A game of the Caribbean stud begins in players placing their ante, and depending on the casino, they have the option to wager a $1 progressive side bet for a progressive payout. This $1 side bet pay for a flush or a better hand.
The dealer then calls out that no more bets will be accepted, after which the cards are shuffled and distributed to the players and to the dealer. Each is dealt with five cards each, face down, with the exception of one of the dealer’s cards.
Each player will then have to decide on whether play or fold. When a player decides to fold, his cards, ante and side bet are forfeited. In case of plays, the player must wager an amount twice the amount of the ante. After all the players are done deciding, the dealer reveals his own cards and compares the set with the cards of the other players. Of course, whoever has the best hand wins.
The dealer can only qualify if he has an ace/king in his cards, or higher.
The lowest hand in Caribbean stud poker is ace-king-4-3-2 while the highest non-qualifying hand is ace-queen-jack-10-9.
Deciding on an optimal strategy for Caribbean poker can be very convoluted since players do not have the human variable to consider, unlike in traditional poker. In general, however, a player should only raise when he has a pair or higher, and fold when he has less than the dealer’s qualifying hand.
Sticking to these general rules ensures that the player has a house edge of 5.225%.
A player can also raise on ace-king if:
(a) dealer’s card is 2 to queen and matches one of the player’s cards,
(b) dealer’s card is an ace or king and the player has a queen or jack in his hand, and (c) the dealer’s rank does not match any of the player’s cards and the player has a queen in his hand and the dealer has less than the player’s fourth highest card.
Payouts in Caribbean Stud Poker vary from casino to casino but always, it features a progressive jackpot, which pays 100% of the jackpot for a royal flush, and 10% with a straight flush.
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