Don’t worry if you’re not yet a pro at Caribbean Poker. You’re not alone. Among casino poker game variations, it is one of the newest and most elusive. Until recently, when the internet made playing different types of card games possible from almost anywhere, only those who’d visited Aruba had heard, let alone played, Caribbean Stud Poker.
Online casinos have given international players many new gambling opportunities and Caribbean Poker online is undoubtedly one of the most exciting. It’s also one of the easiest to master. Casino Bonus can help by explaining everything you need to know about the game in its comprehensive online Caribbean Stud Poker game guide. Read the quick introductions below and click the links for more information on your topics of choice.
Caribbean Poker Rules
Playing this game is surprisingly simple. Its rules are a little bit poker, a little bit blackjack and not at all hard to learn. If you’ve played a lot of card games before, you will be surprised by how this game differs from other game variations. Total newcomers, on the other hand, will appreciate the unique rules of Caribbean Poker.
How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker rules are quite different from the poker games many people play at home, in poker rooms and in brick and mortar casinos. While a few Caribbean Poker rules are similar to those in standard poker games, several subtle differences exist.
The Ante Bet
Caribbean Stud Poker is a five card stud poker game played with a standard 52 card deck. Caribbean Stud Poker rules dictate that the game commences with each player placing an “ante” bet. This is a starting bet that plumps the pot and is placed before the dealer distributes the cards. The ante bet can be an amount anywhere within the set table limits – from a nickel in home games to hundreds in casinos.
The Deal
After all players have anted up, each player receives five cards for his starting hand. The dealer also deals himself five cards. Four of the dealer cards are face down; one is face up.
Caribbean Poker rules are different than draw poker and video poker rules in that the cards that are dealt are the cards that are played; you can’t redraw to improve your hand. If you don’t like your cards and you believe, based on the dealer’s up card, that you might be beat, Caribbean Poker rules allow you to fold your hand immediately. In doing this, you only lose your ante bet.
The Call Bet
If you are satisfied with your cards and, based on the dealer’s up card, think you have a winning hand, you may bet. This bet must equal twice the amount of your ante. This is known as the “call” bet.
Showdown
Once everyone has either folded or called, the dealer reveals his four hole cards. The dealer’s hand must contain either an Ace – King or higher in order to qualify to compete with player hands. If this is not the case, the round results in a “push” and the dealer pays even money on the ante bets of all players remaining in the game.
If the dealer’s hand does qualify, all hands are compared. If the dealer’s hand is higher than the player’s, the dealer claims both the player’s ante and call bets. If the player wins, he takes even money on the ante bet and the bonus total for the call bet.
The Progressive Jackpot Bet
Caribbean Stud Poker rules also allow players to make a progressive jackpot bet. Like the ante bet, this bet is placed before the cards are dealt. It pays out when a player hits a big hand, in this case, a flush or higher.
The progressive jackpot bet is a side game that is entirely separate from your Caribbean Stud Poker game. A player who hits one of the aforementioned big hands wins regardless of whether he beats the dealer or not. It’s important to note that Caribbean Stud Poker rules only allow players who bet into the jackpot to receive its payout.
If you hit a progressive jackpot hand, announce it to the dealer prior to the end of the round. Do not wait until the hand is over, when the dealer might inadvertently scoop your cards into the dead pile. You will lose your winnings if this happens. Instead, protect this winning hand. It wins regardless of whether or not you beat the dealer’s hand.
Hand Rankings & Casino Payouts
- As with all poker games, Caribbean Stud Poker rules require that you understand how to build a good hand.
- The best hand is a Royal Flush: a hand with Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, all of the same suit. According to Caribbean Stud Poker rules, a Royal Flush not only wins the progressive jackpot bet, it pays out 100 to 1.
- A Straight Flush also pays out the progressive jackpot. This is a hand with five cards of the same suit in sequential order. A Straight Flush wins 50 to 1 according to Caribbean Poker rules.
- Next up is Four of a kind, which pays 20 to 1 plus a bonus; followed by a Full House, which pays 7 to 1 plus bonus and a Flush, which pays 5 to 1 plus bonus.
- Lower hands don’t pay a bonus from the progressive pool, but do afford more chances to win than you might think. A Straight pays 4 to 1; Three of a kind pay 3 to 1; two pairs earn players twice their original bet; and one pair or a qualifying high card pays even money.
Caribbean Poker Strategy
A lot of card players hear “poker” and immediately think of bluffing. There’s no need to bluff when you play this internet casino poker game. There’s also no need for strategic betting; and good luck trying to read the dealer against whom you’re competing. Among the different types of card games you can play, this is perhaps the most straightforward, but there are still a few honest ways that you can improve your odds.
How to Win at Caribbean Stud
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to win Caribbean Poker games, the CasinoBonus.org Guide to Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy is your answer. Apply our expert Caribbean Poker tactics to your game and you’ll go from novice to winner in no time.
Despite its membership in the poker family, Caribbean Stud Poker tactics and casino tips are fairly straight-forward, if not easy to learn. Optimal Caribbean Stud Poker strategy dictates that players raise on 52.23% of the hands they draw; raising on the correct hands translates to a 5.224% house edge.
Because there are no real betting rounds (save the posting of the ante and the fold, call or raise options after cards are dealt), players need only memorize odds charts, versus bluffing and making multiple tactical decisions, in order to play with optimal Caribbean Stud Poker strategy.
Understanding House Edge
As stated above, a key facet of Caribbean Stud Poker strategy is keeping in mind the “house advantage”, also called the “house edge”. The house edge is the average portion of each bet that the house expects to take.
When properly executed, optimal Caribbean Stud Poker strategy keeps the game’s house edge at 5.224%. If players fail to use optimal Caribbean Stud Poker strategy, the game’s house edge can be up to 16% (i.e. the house takes sixteen dollars of every hundred the player bets).
Two Simple Rules
Knowing how to win Caribbean Poker requires employing optimal gambling strategy. This gambling strategy is straight-forward, but its list of dos and don’ts is long. To start, follow two simple casino tips:
- Caribbean Stud Poker Tactics – #1: Raise with any pair or higher. If the dealer has a low qualifying hand, your raise will win often the hand.
- Caribbean Stud Poker Tactics – #2: Fold when you hold less than the dealer’s qualifying Ace – King hand (i.e. when you do not hold an Ace and a King).
If your hand can’t beat the dealer’s minimum qualifying hand, forfeit your ante and wait for the next deal. Many aspects of Caribbean Stud Poker strategy involve waiting for the right opportunity. A hand that does not contain at least an Ace – King is not the opportunity you’re looking for.
If your hand does contain Ace – King, consider your single cards and the dealer’s up card. Generally speaking, high singletons and/or a dealer up card of jack or less that matches one of your cards are best. The latter is important because it makes the possibility of the dealer forming a pair less likely. For instance, if you have a ten and the dealer’s up card is a ten, only two tens remain in the deck with which the dealer can create a pair.
To further simplify optimal Caribbean Poker strategy, we’ve compressed its lengthy mandates into three additional game tips:
- Raise when the dealer shows an up card of 2 through queen and this up card matches one of your cards.
- Raise when the dealer shows an up card of Ace or King and you hold a Queen or Jack.
- Raise when:
- The dealer’s suit does not match any of your cards yours;
- and you hold a Queen;
- and the dealer shows an up card whose value is less than your fourth highest card.
Kenny Rogers had it right.
In some respects, the gambling strategy for how to win Caribbean Poker is somewhat similar to that used in regular poker games. The biggest one of those is, as the famed Kenny Rogers’ song goes, that you have to “know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em”. There aren’t many decisions to be made in Caribbean Poker, but the few that you do have are crucial. The better these decisions, the more you’ll win.
The best and most enjoyable ways to practice this online Caribbean Poker strategy advice is to play free Caribbean Poker games and to claim free no-deposit casino cash. Both of these tricks allow you to try out various casinos and start earning cash bonuses to supplement your bankroll. This type of “free practice” is also a great way to hone your Caribbean Stud Poker strategy and learn how to win Caribbean Poker games – both online and on land.
Free Practice Caribbean Stud Poker Game
You know what they say: “It’s all fun and games until you’re broke.” But, if you play your cards right, you’ll never have to wager a penny of your own precious cash to play Caribbean Poker online. Casinobonus.org has designed its own free game, so you can practice, relax and refine your skills without risking your savings. If you do decide to pay to play, our online casino reviews tell you where to find the best promotions and free casino cash….it’s our namesake, after all!
Caribbean Poker Odds
Want to know what you’re up against? Casino Bonus gives you a clear picture of both the house edge and hand probability by breaking down game odds. With so few other strategic advantages available, understanding odds is a valuable asset. We lay them out in a way that even beginner’s can gra
Caribbean Stud Probabilities & Payouts
You may know the rules of the game, but until you learn Caribbean Stud Poker odds and study Caribbean Stud Poker odds charts, you’ll remain a student, versus a master of the game. As with any gamble, the better your understanding of game odds, the better informed will be your bets, the better you’ll manage your bankroll and the more likely it is that you’ll be successful.
The gambling experts at Casinobonus.org are pros when it comes to Caribbean Stud Poker probabilities. They’ve compressed their knowledge into a few simple, easy-to-use Caribbean Stud Poker odds charts and guidelines, and presented them here for your convenience.
All in or Cut and Run?
The best way to figure out how to win at Caribbean Poker is to learn Caribbean Stud Poker odds for each hand. Experts in the game have charted the Caribbean Poker probabilities for each possible hand and have determined that nearly half the time (47.8%), the player will not have a hand worthy of expending an extra bet; as with other forms of the traditional card game, you’ll fold a lot.
Pairs Pay
The most frequent hand you’ll see when you win at Caribbean Poker is a pair. Caribbean Stud Poker odds charts show that a player will win with a pair about one time in nine (11.8%). This is why most players should make the “raise” bet when they have at least a pair. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, which happens 22.7% of the time, the player wins the ante bet.
When a player has a pair that beats the dealer’s pair or Ace – King hand, the player’s bet pays out even money.
Payouts by Hand
The below Caribbean Poker odds chart outlines the probabilities of receiving each type of hand.
| Hand Type | Probabilities |
| No hand | 1 in 2 |
| One Pair | 1 in 2 |
| Two Pair | 1 in 21 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 in 47 |
| Straight | 1 in 256 |
| Flush | 1 in 526 |
| Full House | 1 in 694 |
| Four of a Kind | 1 in 4,167 |
| Straight Flush | 1 in 72,202 |
| Royal Flush | 1 in 649,351 |
Bigger Hands = Longer Odds = Bigger Payouts
Caribbean Stud Poker odds get a bit longer with bigger hands, and the payoffs get better.
- Two Pairs
Caribbean Stud Poker probabilities dictate that the player will receive a hand with two pairs about 2.5% of the time, which pays out 2 to 1.
- Two Pairs
- Three of a Kind
Rarer still are the Caribbean Stud Poker odds of drawing a Three of a kind. The calculations for Caribbean Stud Poker probabilities show that a Three of a kind hand occurs just over one percent of the time (1.2%). Since the hand is so rare, and the online Caribbean Stud Poker odds that the dealer will have a better hand are even higher, the player will often win big (3 to 1) with this hand.
- Three of a Kind
- Straights
The same reasoning applies to all of the higher-valued hands: the Caribbean Stud Poker probabilities are longer with these hands, but you’ll win at Caribbean Poker more often holding these hands when the dealer has a qualifying hand. For example, a player holding a Straight (five consecutive cards) will be paid out 4 to 1. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that a Straight occurs only once in every 256 hands.
| Hand Type | Payouts* |
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 to 1 |
| Full House | 7 to 1 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 2 to 1 |
| All other hands | 1 to 1 |
*according to standard U.S. Raise Pay Tables
However you choose to approach Caribbean Stud Poker payouts and probabilities, we hope that the above information proves helpful. Good luck at the tables.
Caribbean Poker Tips
This is a game that’s not easily won. Players need all the help they can get if they want to come out on top. Our Caribbean Stud internet casino poker tips will help you perfect everything from your knowledge of how to play an optimal game to adapting your betting style to suit your bankroll.
Whether you enjoy playing Caribbean Stud Poker online for the fun of the game, the lure of the big jackpots, or to earn the generous bonus cash offered by many online casino sites, it’s wise to learn a few basic Caribbean Stud Poker tips before pulling a chair up to the table. Our guide to Caribbean Poker secrets and winning Caribbean Stud Poker tips will set you in the right direction from the start of your gaming experience.
Small pairs can mean big money
Here’s a simple piece of advice: always make the “call bet” with small pairs. When the dealer qualifies with a lower pair or Ace – King, you win more often with pairs.
Ace + King = Call
Some players get confused on how to play Ace – King. Call with Ace – King if the dealer’s up card matches one of the cards in your hand. This Caribbean Poker secret is verified by simple math; the card in your hand reduces the game odds of the dealer pairing that same card.
Like the song says, “Know when to fold ‘em.”
Of course, one of the simpler Caribbean Poker tips is knowing when to fold weak hands. Many beginning players fail to take this necessary piece of advice out of anxiety over losing their ante bet. The truth is, you stand to lose a lot more if you call with a poor hand.
“Practice Makes Perfect”
A pretty obvious means of learning how to play Caribbean Poker is to practice getting the “feel” for the game. Players can do this by playing either low-stakes cash games or free “play money” tables. As with most games, one of the most useful Caribbean Stud Poker tips is the tried and true “practice makes perfect” philosophy. The more you practice now, the more you’ll win later.
Play the progressive when it’s huge!
One of the more instructive Caribbean Poker tips involves the progressive jackpot. While there really are no Caribbean Poker secrets to hitting the big payoff (other than getting really lucky), some gaming gurus advise against placing a progressive bet, especially if the jackpot has recently been “re-seeded”. However, if the jackpot is big enough to change your life, you should take the chance. It’s only a dollar, after all.
Be loud and proud when it comes to progressives
Another of our more obvious, but no less important, winning Caribbean Stud Poker tips is to declare a winning progressive hand immediately. Don’t wait until the hand is over, lest you want the dealer to scoop up your cards and render your win void. When you hit a Straight or higher, call it out straight away.
Chasing losses leaves you breathless and bankrupt
If you find yourself on a losing streak, step away from the table. Too often, players chase their losses by increasing their bets. This only depletes your bankroll further and faster.
It ain’t Holdem so don’t play it that way
More than a few players try to apply their knowledge of games like Holdem and Omaha to Caribbean Stud Poker games. This is a mistake. Here, the dealer can’t be bluffed off a hand; he only folds when his hand does not qualify and the “call bet” is a push.
Apply these winning Caribbean Stud Poker tips to practice and play. Play smart and you’ll not only win more, you’ll have more fun.
Caribbean Poker History
This game’s history is short but sweet. Few of the many various card games played in casinos can trace their origins to the Caribbean Islands, and this distinction definitely gives the game a unique flavor. If you’re wondering where such a strange game came from, read about its origins here.
While the game of poker has been around for centuries, the history of Caribbean Stud Poker dates back only a few decades. But what Caribbean Stud Poker history lacks in length, it makes up for with colorful stories and interesting characters. With many land casinos now offering the game, and many online casinos offering big progressives and casino bonuses to go with it, Caribbean Poker history remains an interesting subject with an ongoing evolution.
Sklansky’s “Casino Poker”
The history of Caribbean Stud Poker is debatable. Some argue it can be traced back to a beautiful tropical island (as its name would suggest); others argue it was borne from the desert sands of Nevada.
Card game expert David Sklansky falls into the latter camp. He claims to have kicked off Caribbean Poker history by inventing the game’s rules. Sklansky, who is the author of some of the greatest books ever written on the subject of game strategy, called his new game “Casino Poker.” He purports that he did not mass-produce the game because the “Casino Poker” name had already been trademarked.
Tropical Roots?
Another account of Caribbean Poker history tells of its more “tropical” origins. In this version of its history, the game makes its first appearance aboard a cruise ship bound for the island of Aruba. It is said that a passenger who owned a casino in Aruba saw how popular the game was so bought the concept for use in his establishment.
Confluence Theory
A third theory suggests that Caribbean Poker history developed from a kind of Aruba-Vegas confluence.
Many gambling fans, experts, patrons and players believe that real Caribbean Stud Poker history involves not one story but several, and includes the influences of players, casino owners, computer programmers and even lawyers and judges. They claim that the eventual establishment of the game’s progressive jackpot is what garnered its now mass appeal.
This theory states that in 1987 a bettor named James Suttle learned a game variation taught to him by a fellow player at the world famous Binion’s Horseshoe Casino. Binion’s Horseshoe was the former home of the World Series of Poker. Suttle bought the idea for the game variation from the man for only US $5,000.
Suttle then sold the concept to casino owner Danny Jones. Jones became one of the most influential figures in Caribbean Stud Poker history when he introduced the game to players at his King International Casino in Aruba. Many cruise ships stopped at the island port, where visitors enjoyed the beaches during the day and played in the casinos at night.
Enter the Progressive
The biggest innovation in Caribbean Poker history was the introduction of the progressive jackpot. Michael Titus, a computer programmer, met Danny Jones during a game at the Horseshoe. When Jones discussed his plans for the new game, Titus suggested he add a progressive jackpot that would pay out for big hands like Four of a kind, Straight Flush and Royal Flush.
The addition of the progressive jackpot feature was a huge forward leap in Caribbean Poker history. However, as the game grew in other gaming centers, Jones and Titus had yet to reach a deal to license it in Nevada. Jones’ son, Dane, worked a deal to launch the game in Nevada with a company titled DP Stud. It would be one of the worst deals in gambling history.
The DP Stud deal denied Jones and Titus US $1 million in licensing rights for the game in Nevada. The legal wrangling between DP Stud and the Jones/Titus group is largely responsible for the nebulous nature of Caribbean Poker history. Attorneys for DP Stud effectively clouded Jones’ and Titus’ presence in Caribbean Poker history, while illegally replicating versions of the game.
Online Caribbean Stud Poker
With the growth in online casino sites, Caribbean Poker history witnessed another wave of popularity. New players began to discover the game and its renown as a fun, alternative version of traditional poker, has spread to previously untouched territory. Today, players in Latvia can have the same experience as players in Las Vegas. The only thing needed is a computer and an internet connection.
Caribbean Poker Glossary
Parlez vous Caribbean? There’s more to this game than rules and odds. If you really want to get into its groove, we recommend you learn its language. Casinobonus.org can help. We’ve compiled a compendium of all the game slang, definitions and terminology you’ll need to know to not only play like a pro, but talk like one, too.
Checking out a Caribbean Poker Glossary is a crucial first step in learning to play the game. For example, what’s the difference between an ante and a call bet? What is Ace – King according to Caribbean Stud Poker hand rules and why is it so important? And why are there progressives? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, get yourself a good Caribbean Poker Glossary stat.
To make things a little easier on you, we’ve compiled all the necessary Caribbean Poker terms and slang used in game play in the below CasinoBonus.org Caribbean Poker glossary. Read through its contents for all the terms you’ll need to know to play and win.