Caribbean Stud Poker Rules and Strategies

The game's origin is somewhat shrouded in mystery, but a widely accepted claim is that renowned poker professional David Sklansky invented the game in 1982 and called it Casino Poker. Due to patent laws, Sklansky was unable to take official credit for creating the wildly popular table game at the time.

Eventually, Sklansky was able to have Casino Poker patented, and the game was taken to The King International Casino in Aruba, now known as the Excelsior Casino. In an unexpected turn of events, another casino player and the owner of the Excelsior changed the rules a little, and, according to the story, the current variation of Caribbean stud poker was born.

The most prominent drawcard for Caribbean stud poker is that it contains classic original game elements, but requires surprisingly little thought or effort. The game's rules are also straightforward to learn, and the game isn't skill-intensive. You'll be playing quite happily with little attention paid to strategy. That said, our helpful hints, tips, and tricks should help you improve your game and have you playing better.

However, you should note that the house edge for Caribbean stud poker typically stays over 5%, no matter how good you are or which strategies you employ. This is less than ideal compared to other table games like roulette, blackjack, and Texas Hold 'em. On the other hand, Caribbean stud poker promises to be a lot of fun if you like table games, and there's usually the opportunity to throw your hat in the ring for a big jackpot.

If you've ever dabbled in other higher variations of poker like Omaha, Five Card Draw, Stud, or Hold 'em, you should have a wide enough frame of reference to start with. The basics of the game are that hands are ranked from high cards, which are the lower end of the scale, to a royal flush, the highest. Suits have no relevance in Caribbean stud poker.

As we mentioned previously, Caribbean stud poker is a poker variation played against the house. This means your only goal is to beat the dealer. More than one person can play simultaneously at a table, but anyone else participating has the same single goal as you; beat the dealer. Think of the other players as teammates and cheer each other on, something you can’t do when you play against other players.

To start a hand, you place the ante in a designated container. Thereafter the dealer will distribute five cards to each player, always face down. The dealer also takes five cards for themselves, but one of their cards will be placed face up for all to see. Once they've done that, everyone has an opportunity to look at their own cards and make decisions.

At this point, it's worth mentioning that you shouldn't show your cards to anyone else. This is technically cheating because you give other players more information than they need to play a fair game.

You have two simple options when you examine your hand. You can either fold and give up your ante or play and place a double-the-ante bet. When everyone has made their decisions, the dealer will turn over the rest of their cards and issue payments to the winners.

The dealer will compare their hand with each player's hand after the cards are turned over.

You’ll always get paid 1 to 1 on your ante if your hand is stronger than the dealer's. A dealer will only pay you 1 to 1 on the 'Play' amount if the dealer qualifies, meaning they hold an Ace-King or better hand. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, you’ll be paid on your ante, but your play bets will be returned to you without any profit.

If you place a 'Play' bet, you can get paid more than 1 to 1. Payouts are made according to the following table in the event you're dealt two pairs or better.

• Two pairs will pay 2 to 1
• Three-of-a-kind will pay 3 to 1
• Straight will pay 4 to 1
• Flushes will pay 5 to 1
• Full boats will pay 7 to 1
• Quads will be paid at 20 to 1
• Straight flushes will pay 50 to 1
• A royal flush will pay 100 to 1

The above bets will only be paid if two conditions are met. First off, the dealer must have a qualifying hand. Secondly, your hand needs to beat the dealer's hand.

The thing to remember about Caribbean stud poker is that few people play it for massive payouts; it's played for the thrill.

In the Caribbean stud, you only need to make one decision. Looking at your cards, you must decide whether you want to continue or give up right away. You only have the dealer's up-card as additional information. Developing and committing super-precise numbers for the game to memory would be quite the challenge. Luckily, there are only two simple things you need to know:

• If you hold a pair or better, always play your hand
• If your hand is weaker than Ace-King, fold it

As a result of this strategy, we only need to discuss the Ace-King hand. A good strategy here can decrease the house edge somewhat, as it’s a crucial cutoff point.

When you're dealt Ace-King, you should follow these simple tips:

• You should raise if the dealer shows any card from 2 to Q and you hold a card of the same rank.
• Only raise when you also have a Queen or Jack in your hand when the dealer shows an Ace or a King.
• When you hold a Queen, and the dealer has a lower card than your fourth highest card, raise.

Using this straightforward strategy will ensure that you do not lose more than what the house edge is. However, even with this strategy, you can't expect to reach the breakeven point anytime. The reason for this is that the house edge is relatively high, at 5.2%.

When you're away from the action but still crave a little game, Caribbean stud poker can be a good option. The game is far more straightforward than other poker variations, so it won't challenge you. If you want a game that challenges you, other table games would be a better fit. If you play Caribbean Stud Poker frequently, keep in mind that the house edge can become expensive. There are many places online to practice Caribbean stud poker strategies before risking your hard-earned cash.