CARIBBEAN STUD POKER

overview

• Game Facts
• Gameplay
• Progressive Caribbean Stud Poker
• Tips for the Online Caribbean Stud Poker Player
• History of Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud (Tropical Stud, Tropical Stud Poker, Oasis Stud) is one of the most popular poker variations which is played on a semi-circular table, similar to the one used for blackjack, with room for up to 6 players (pointeures).

In contrast to classic poker variants, the players only play against the dealer and not against other participants.

Game Facts

Caribbean Stud Poker is played with a pack of regular playing cards (52 cards) and the players, as well as the dealer receive 5 cards each. Compared to Texas Hold’em, there are no community cards and no blinds.

Gameplay

Players, who want to take part in the game at, for instance, Mr. Green Casino, have to place an obligatory wager (“Ante”).
Every casino, no matter whether it’s a real or an online casino, sets up a minimal and a maximal betting limit, which the players have to adhere to. The participants receive 5 cards facing down and the dealer gets 4 facing down and 1 unfolded card.
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Now the players get to decide, whether they want to continue with the game or not (“fold”). Whoever chooses to stay on has to place the double Ante-amount on the marked spot on the table (“Bet” or “Raise”). If you prefer to fold your cards your initial Ante-wager is of course lost.
Many real casinos allow players to switch one card at the cost of an Ante, but in online casinos this is uncommon.

After one or more players have placed the double Ante-amount, the dealer reveals his cards. He needs at least a king or an ace to continue with the game, otherwise he is disqualified and the players receive even money on their Ante bet and all wagers (Ante and Raise) are returned.

Should the dealer qualify, he calls the players raises and the hands are compared:

• If the dealer’s hand is better, the player’s bets are forfeited
• If the player’s hand is better, he gets back his wagers and even money on his Ante bet, plus the winnings for the Raise according to the following table:
  
  

  Winning Combination	Odds
  Royal Flush	100:1*
  Straight Flush	50:1
  Four of a Kind	20:1
  Full House	7:1
  Flush	5:1
  Straight	4:1
  Three of a Kind	3:1
  Two Pairs	2:1
  One Pair or Ace/King High Card	1:1

*The odds for a Royal Flush strongly vary and sometimes they are set as high as 999:1, like for instance at online casinos belonging to the Microgaming network (e.g. Ladbrokes Casino). Please note, that Caribbean Stud Poker is called Cyberstud Poker in Microgaming Casinos.

Progressive Caribbean Stud Poker

Because players have to stick to their 5 cards (6 if they have the opportunity to switch) in Caribbean Stud Poker, it is much harder to form a winning combination, especially without the possibility of bluffing. Online casino providers had to therefore think of something to make the game more profitable for users. Apart from exorbitant odds for high-value card combinations, most online casinos provide Caribbean Stud Poker tables with integrated progressive jackpots.
You can play for the progressive jackpot by placing a so-called side bet on the respective area on the table. Once you receive a Royal Flush, the jackpot is yours.
But this isn’t the only card combination with special winnings: with so-called “Premium Hands” like a Straight Flush or Four of a Kind, you can still win a certain percentage of the jackpot.
Please note, that in the unlikely event of more than one player holding a Royal Flush, the player sitting to the dealer’s right is paid first and therefore wins the progressive jackpot. The jackpot is then reset to its starting amount (usually to approx. $ 10,000) before the second winner gets paid.

Tips for the Online Caribbean Stud Poker Player

• Bet (or raise) as soon as you are holding a pair or better

• Only play with at least one king or ace in your hand otherwise automatically fold your cards. We even recommend folding cards with a combination showing A-K-4-3-2.

• When playing with an ace and a king as high cards, you should only continue in the following cases:

• The dealer’s open card is not showing an ace or king, and has the same value as one of your cards instead.

• The dealer’s open card is showing an ace or a king and one of your remaining cards is a jack or queen (A-K-J-3-2).

• The dealers face up card is of lower value than your fourth-best card and you are holding a queen.

History of Caribbean Stud Poker

There are different stories about who invented the game of Caribbean Stud Poker, but one thing is clear: as the name suggests, Caribbean Poker was invented on the Caribbean Islands in the 1980s. It soon became a popular game on cruise liners and therefore it did not take long until it reached the city of Las Vegas and the rest of the world.