Caribbean Stud Poker

While it hasn’t been around for nearly as long as other games in a casino,
Caribbean Stud has quickly risen to be one of the more popular table games found
both online and in a land-based environment. The game’s combination of speed and
poker-style play makes it a favorite amongst novice and advanced players alike.
Online casino gambling introduced the game to a wider audience, and this also
helped to increase the overall popularity.

This page is dedicated to all things Caribbean Stud – where it came from, how
it is played, and where to find the best places to play the game online today.

A Brief History of Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud Poker, like many other casino games, has several versions of
stories of how it was invented and by whom. The game, as you can probably
imagine from the name, did originate in the Caribbean, and it seems generally
agreed that it was in Aruba. The game grew in popularity after it was introduced
in the 1980s, especially with tourists who got to play the game when visiting
the islands.

In the late 1980s, the game made its way into casinos in the United States,
and while it was a novelty for many gamblers, it didn’t really make a ton of
money for the operators. It wasn’t until the progressive jackpot was added that
the game really took off, skyrocketing in popularity. Today, Caribbean Stud is
essentially only behind blackjack and roulette when it comes to the table games
in a casino.

The Best Caribbean Stud Sites

Caribbean Stud Poker is an excellent game to play online. The game is really
a house vs. player game, so it doesn’t require any other players around during a
hand. We have reviewed as many online casinos as we have been able to find for
GamblingSites.org, and from these reviews, we have created the following list of
sites we recommend for fans of Caribbean Stud.

Rank	Gambling Site	Deposit Bonus	Get Started
#1	Vegas Casino Online	100% Up To $11,000	Visit Site
#2	Wild Casino	250% Up To $5,000	Visit Site
#3	El Royale	240% Up To $12,500	Visit Site
#4	Bovada Casino	100% Up To $3,000	Visit Site
#5	Cherry Gold	200% Up To $10,000	Visit Site
#6	Red Dog Casino	225% Up To $12,250	Visit Site

Each of these sites offers a great version of Caribbean Stud, but there is
much more going on at all these sites. Our reviewers have determined that these
sites are the best for finding big progressive jackpots. Also, the sites on this
list will have excellent bonuses for you to stretch the value of your money, as
well as excellent loyalty programs that reward you for playing with the site for
long periods of time. Finally, each of these sites gives you the chance to play
Caribbean Stud from your mobile device, so you can play conveniently wherever
you please.

How to Play Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud is actually quite simple to play, especially when you factor
in that there is nothing you can do to your hand to improve it once it is dealt
to you. To understand how Caribbean Stud works, you should have at bare minimum
an understanding of the ranking of poker hands. We realize that many of you
already know this, but for those that are new to the game, here are all the
possible combinations of hands ranked from highest to lowest.

• Royal Flush – ace,
  king, queen, jack, and 10 of the same suit
• Straight Flush – Any 5
  cards of the same suit in numerical order, i.e. 5-9 of spades
• 4 of a Kind – a hand
  with all 4 cards of the same number
• Full House – a hand
  featuring both a 3 of a kind and one pair
• Flush – any five cards
  of the same suit
• Straight – any five
  cards in numerical order
• 3 of a Kind – a hand
  with any 3 cards of the same number
• 2 Pair – any two
  different pairs of matching cards in your hand
• 1 Pair – having one
  pair of matching cards in your hand
• High Card – a hand that
  has no matching cards, straights, or flushes in it

Okay, now you have a sense of what hands you are hoping for when you are
playing. Let’s look at the gameplay itself. This is a game between the dealer
and the player, and there can be several players sitting at one table each
receiving their own hand. There are three betting spots in front of each player.
The first one is for the ante, which is the bet that every player must place to
receive cards.

Once you have placed your bet, the dealer deals 5 cards to each player
face-down and a 5 card hand to the dealer spot with one of the 5 cards face-up
for the players to see. Each player looks at their hand, finds it on the ranking
of hands, and then has a choice to make. A player can choose to fold their hand,
in which case the hand is discarded, and the bet is lost. If the player wants to
stay in the hand, a bet equal to twice the size of the ante must be placed in
the raise spot.

When all betting is complete, the dealer exposes its hand. The dealer has to
have a minimum hand to qualify which has to include at least an ace and a king.
If the dealer’s hand is worse than the minimum, then the hand does not qualify,
and all players will receive even money on their ante bet, but the raise bet is
not paid out.

If the dealer qualifies, then the dealer’s hand is matched against each
player hand. If the dealer’s hand is stronger, then the player loses both bets.
If the hand is a tie, then the player bets are pushed. If the player hand is the
higher hand, then the player is paid even money on the ante bet, and the raise
is paid according to this table:

We mentioned that there are three betting spots – the third is a progressive
jackpot bet that is optional for players. If you choose to play this spot, you
are rewarded for having a minimum hand regardless of if you win the hand against
the dealer. The typical progressive bet pays the following:

• Royal Flush: 100% of progressive jackpot
• Straight Flush: 10% of progressive jackpot
• Four of a Kind: $500
• Full House: $100
• Flush: $50

Once the bets have been paid, the cards are shuffled, and the next hand
begins!

Conclusion

Caribbean Stud Poker continues to be one of the easier games in a casino to
play, which makes it one of the more popular games for new players. Online
Caribbean Stud gives players a chance to play far more hands per hour, and this
means more chances to win a progressive jackpot. We think it is a great game for
all types of players, and while playing the progressive bet does change the
house edge, it is still worth giving it a shot in our opinion.

As always, we encourage our players to try the game for free first to get
used to the gameplay and rules. Also, it is important to play with your head and
stick to a budget that you are comfortable with so that you can continue to
enjoy the entertainment that gambling provides.

Frequently Asked Questions