Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker bears a striking similarity to Five Card Stud Poker and is played against the dealer. The most attractive feature of the game is the progressive jackpot that is attached to it. Players are required to make an additional fixed bet of $1 if they want to win the game.
When poker became more popular, casinos got the bright idea of offering card games such as Caribbean Stud Poker, 3 Card Poker and Casino Stud Poker to make table games more attractive to poker players. The history of the game is shrouded in mystery; and although a gambling genius called David Sklansky claims that he invented the game under the name of Casino Poker in the early eighties, a number of people believe that the game originated years ago. Reportedly, it was played on a cruise ship bound to Aruba, after which it was purchased by the proprietor of Excelsior Casino.
Caribbean Stud rules depend on the geographical location of the casino offering it, but the basic rules of the game remain the same. Players need to place the Ante bet in order to set the game into motion. While placing their Ante bets, they can also place the optional fixed bet of $1 to unlock the game’s progressive pot. Once all the players have placed their bets, they will be dealt five face-down cards each and the dealer will be dealt four face-down and one face-up card.
Players can then study their hands and the dealer’s face-up card and decide to either fold and forfeit their Ante bets or place a Raise bet, which is twice the value of the Ante bet and continue playing. After each player has made his/her move, the dealer will reveal all his hole cards. The dealer, however, can continue playing only if his/her hand qualifies by having an Ace – King combination or better. If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, players will receive even money on their Ante bets and will get back their Raise bets. If the dealer’s hand qualifies, the strongest hand will win the prize.
In case of Caribbean Stud Poker, the Royal Flush has a payout of 100 to 1, the Straight Flush pays 50 to 1, Four of a Kind pays 20 to 1 and Full House pays 7 to 1. The Flush pays 5 to 1, Straight pays 4 to 1, Three of a Kind pays 3 to 1, Two Pair pays 2 to 1 and One Pair or Less pays 1 to 1.
Caribbean Stud Poker does not allow players to bet on many hands at a time. Players are also not permitted to exchange hand information with the other players at the table. However, players can use certain strategies to reduce the casino advantage to a considerable extent. Experts advise that players should never fold pairs or high-value cards, but should always fold cards of lesser value than Ace – King combinations. It is very much within the control of the players to reduce the house edge and increase their odds of winning.