Caribbean Stud Poker Rules and Basic Strategies

Caribbean stud poker is a variation of regular five-card stud poker played on a standard blackjack-sized table with a standard 52 card deck. The cards are normally dealt by an automatic shuffling machine that deals in groups of five card hands. Players don't play against each other but try to beat the dealer with the best poker hand. Caribbean stud poker is unique in that it is the first casino table game to offer a progressive jackpot.

As its name implies, this poker game originated in the Caribbean islands, and it soon spread to casinos in America and Europe. Caribbean Stud was introduced in Nevada casinos in the early 1990s only a few years after it war introduced in Aruba in the 1980's. With its short history of only 25 years it managed to gain a popularity that few other table games have enjoyed except for Let It Ride Poker.

Caribbean stud poker unlike standard poker games, is played against the house rather than against other players. There is no bluffing or other deception. For these reasons, most poker players do not consider it to be a form of poker.

General Rules, Betting and Sequence of Action for Caribbean Stud Poker

A Caribbean Stud table has room for six to seven players. A Caribbean Stud Poker Table Layout has boxes for placing three types of bets: the Ante bet, the Call bet and the progressive Side bet.

Caribbean Stud rules : Placing your Ante & Side bet.
Before you are dealt any cards, you have to place your Ante bet in the area of the table called the Ante box. The minimum Ante bet is usually $5. At this point you also have to decide if you want to take a shot at the progressive jackpot. In order to qualify for the progressive jackpot, you have to place a $1 side bet in the area of the table called the Side bet slot. The Side bet slot is located just above the Ante box.

Caribbean Poker rules : Dealing of the cards
After you and all other players at the table have placed the Ante bet and the optional Side bet, the dealer announces "No more bets" and the game begins. The dealer deals each player five cards face down from a standard 52 card deck. The dealer deals himself also five cards, but four cards are dealt face down. The fifth card is dealt face up, and also called the dealer's up card. Typically, cards are dealt from an automatic shuffling machine, five cards at a time.

Caribbean Stud Poker rules : Evaluating your hand
After you are dealt you five cards face down, you are allowed to pick them up in order to evaluate your hand. When evaluating your hand you'll need to know how your hand ranks in the hierarchy of Caribbean Stud Poker hands. Caribbean Stud hand rankings are similar to standard poker rankings, except for the fact that an Ace/King is the lowest ranking hand.

Caribbean Stud rules : Deciding to fold or to call
Depending on the poker ranking of your hand, and the Caribbean Poker strategy you are using, you're next decision involves whether to Fold or to Call. You decide to Fold if you think your hand sucks, and the dealer will probably beat you to it. If you Fold, you lose your Ante bet. You decide to Call if you think you have a good hand, that will most likely beat the Dealer's hand. If you Call, you have to place an additional wager of twice your original Ante bet in the Call bet box. The minimum Call bet is typically $10, because commonly the minimum Ante bet is $5.

Caribbean Poker rules : The dealer reveals his cards
After all players have either decided to Fold or to Call, the dealer reveals his remaining four cards that were dealt face down initially. How the game continues now, depends on the fact whether the dealer qualifies or not. The dealer qualifies if he holds a poker hand that is listed in the hierarchy of Caribbean Stud hands, which means the dealer must hold at least an Ace/King or higher to qualify. If the dealer doesn't have at least an Ace/King, he doesn't qualify.

Caribbean Stud Poker rules: Settling of the bets and payout's
If the dealer doesn't qualify, all players that placed a Call bet (didn't Fold), are paid out even money on their Ante bets.

The Call bets are returned to the players without an additional payout. If the dealer *does* qualify you are only paid out if you're hand beats the dealer's hand. If it doesn't, you lose both your Ante and your Call bet. If your hand *does* beat the dealer's hand, you are paid out even money on your Ante bet. The payout on your Call bet depends on the Caribbean Stud Poker Pay Table used.
What happens if you hold f.e. a Royal Flush and the dealer *doesn't* qualify? In that case you're likely to get a *little* frustrated because you are only paid out on your Ante bet (even money) and your Call bet is simply returned. That's all in the game and you should be prepared for it.

Fortunately, the progressive Side bet is always paid out, independent of the fact the dealer did or did not qualify. The progressive Side bet pays out if you hold a Flush or higher, and a Royal Flush will get you the jackpot.

We recommend you try the Poker School at the Poker Room. There you can try out a few lessons that could help to improve your game. Get the confidence you need to play low limit poker for real money and enjoy the excitement of it.