CARIBBEAN STUD POKER

Caribbean stud is a five-card poker draw game.
Each player is dealt five cards, along with the dealer, having put down an ante bet which is the minimum allowed by the table. You can also make a side-bet for the jackpot, a feature which makes Caribbean stud so popular, though the odds are very long.

After you look at your cards, you can either bet an amount equivalent to twice the ante, or fold, losing the ante.

Next, the dealer's hand is turned over. Note that in this game you only have to beat the dealer, not the other players.

The dealer can only play on at least an Ace and a king. If the dealer cannot play, all players are paid at 1:1 for their ante and the bet made to call it is a push, it does not win or lose.

It pays out, should you beat the dealer only, as follows:


YOUR HAND PAYOFF

• One pair / High card 1:1
• Two pairs 2:1
• 3 of a kind 3:1
• Straight 4:1
• Flush 5:1
• Full house 7:1
• 4 of a kind 20:1
• Straight Flush 50:1
• Royal Flush 100:1

Strategy
Like in 3-card poker, the dealer must have a certain hand at the very least to play, and you should take it as given that this hand is your minimum to play as well, that is an Ace and a king. However, this is not always advisable - the house has a definite advantage at this game.

Still, one tactic to remember is always raise on any pair. It might seem like an Ace/king is a better combination than a pair of twos, but you have a much higher chance of winning money with the pair than with the single cards.

The jackpot
To be honest, the jackpot is probably the worst bet in the casino, as far as the odds go. Although you can win a lot of money, the odds are highly against you.

Should you go for it however, you can win a huge amount, as follows:

HAND YOU WIN for a $1 jackpot stake

• Royal Flush 100% running jackpot total
• Straight Flush 10% jackpot total
• 4 of a kind $100
• Full house $75
• Flush $50

But be aware that the odds of even winning the smallest prize are less than 500/1, not worth it by anyone's standards.