Guide to Playing Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is known amongst avid players as a fun, fast-paced poker variation where one can experience a quick turnaround time between hands and potentially win a hefty progressive jackpot if played correctly. The goal of the game is simple: Create a better poker hand than the dealer and you are declared the winner. It is praised by many for its simple objective and its fast, direct style of play.

If you are interested in learning more about this competitive, engaging take on traditional poker, look no further than this page for the best, most comprehensive guide to playing Caribbean Stud Poker for real money!

In our review, we will show you how the game of Caribbean Stud Poker is played, show you some of the best places on the web to play for real money, and give you some helpful betting tips and strategies that will help greatly increase your bankroll.

How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker

To start, we will discuss how the game is played. This variation of poker is played between the player and the dealer. The ultimate objective is for the player to have a better poker hand than the dealer. Here is how the game unfolds.

• There are three spots for players to bet, the first one is called the “ante.” This is the bet you need to place in order to receive cards.
• After the ante bet is placed, five cards will be dealt face down from the dealer. The dealer will also deal five cards with only one facing up for all players to see.
• Take a look at your cards and see where it falls on the poker hand rankings list (see the paytable chart below with all poker hand positions). You then have the chance to fold and lose the ante bet or call the ante by doubling the initial bet and placing it on the raise spot.
• There is an additional third bet that you can place before the hands are revealed. Each table typically features some sort of progressive jackpot, just another way for player’s to make some extra cash. In order to take advantage of this bonus bet, you must place a separate side bet of $1. We will discuss payouts by poker hands for this bonus bet later on.
• When all initial bets are in, the dealer will reveal all their cards. The dealer needs to have a minimum of an ace-high or king-high in order to qualify. If not, the had does not qualify and you will get even money back on your ante bet, but not the raise.
• Just like in traditional poker, if the dealer’s hand is better than your hand, you lose both bets. A tie will result in your bets being pushed. If your hand is better than the dealer’s, you will be paid back even money on the ante. The raise bet will be paid according to the pay table below.

What Is the Pay Table?

Below is a table showing both the value and ranking of each poker hand. The basic payouts are applied to paying out the raise bet. The ante bet will be paid back even money.

What Is the Bonus Bet?

We briefly mentioned this toward the beginning of the post, but players have an option to chip in a separate $1 bet to go toward the progressive jackpot that pays for hands of a flush or better. This is a great chance to gain some modest wins for a relatively low cost!

Placing the $1 bonus bet on the progressive jackpot will secure some of these sweet extra bonuses.

Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy

There are few a tricks you can pull out of your sleeve in order to increase your chances of winning at the Caribbean Stud Poker tables. Optimal strategy for this game can be somewhat complicated, but there are some general principles that will carry the trick!

1. Raise with a pair or higher, every time.
2. Fold with less than a king or ace high (the dealer’s qualifying hand), every time.

This can be difficult to determine, but there are some subtle clues to watch out for. It helps if three or four of your singleton cards are high. A possible indication of the odds being in your favor is if the dealer’s face up card is a Jack or less and, especially, if you have a match to that card, meaning the dealer is less like to make a pair.

• You should raise if the dealer has a card that is anything between a two or queen AND it matches one of yours.
• You should raise if the dealer has a card that is either an ace or king and you have either a queen or a jack.
• Avoid the bonus bet.

Although there are some great opportunities to win extra jackpot cash for the small cost of $1 bet, we would advise you to hold onto your dollars and avoid placing the bonus bet. The house edge for this particular side bet generally hovers around 25% meaning that you will probably be throwing each of the $1 bets away a majority of the time.

The House Edge in Caribbean Stud Poker

The typical house edge found for Caribbean Stud Poker rests around 5.22%. Here is an additional pay table that shows probability and return on the game for players who are employing optimal strategy into their game.

Where To Play Caribbean Stud Poker Online for Money

Here are some excellent Caribbean Stud online casinos that come highly recommended as the best places to play Caribbean Stud Poker for real money!

Rank	Gambling Site	Deposit Bonus	Get Started
#1	BetOnline Poker	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site
#2	Bovada Poker	100% Up To $500	Visit Site
#3	SB Poker	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site
#4	Ignition Poker	100% Up To $1,000	Visit Site

Land-Based Casinos

Here are some of the brick and mortar outfits where you can get the classic experience of playing Caribbean Stud Poker on a real table.

Caribbean Stud Poker FAQ

Here we will cover some of the most common questions our team receives about Caribbean Stud Poker online.