Caribbean Stud was invented in the mid to late 1980’s. Since then, the game has been a favorite in land-based casinos. With the advent of the Internet, Caribbean stud became a standard inclusion among the table games menu of most online casinos. Here in 2020, the real money online casinos offer Caribbean stud for both dollar-players and high rollers. Today, I want to talk about how to play Caribbean Stud, the payouts, odds, methods of cheating. You can also practise for free online below.
Play The Free Game Here - No Download Required
Deposit $100 & Get
$100 Free to Play on Slots
$100 Free to Play on Slots
Caribbean Stud Payout Odds. Whilst playing the game, you can get any one of the 2,598,960 possible five card combinations. Take a look at the table below to find out about the number of ways to make a hand, the probability of acquiring each type of hand, the true odds as well as the house odds. Caribbean Stud odds are a little heavy in favor of the house (about 5.2%), so look for the payouts that are shown below. If you play the optional jackpot and catch a few more big poker hands than usual, you can win quite a bit of money in a short time.
Microgaming Casinos – The free option on Microgaming casinos only works for those who haven’t played for real money on that particular Microgaming site before. Players who start to pay real money for gaming won’t be able to go back and play the free games anymore.
RealTime Gaming Casinos – If you’re from the United Kingdom or most other places in Europe, then Microgaming or Playtech casinos are likely going to provide all the gambling opportunities you need. If you live in the United States, then the field of options is much more limited. That’s where RealTime Gaming helps. RTG casinos offer Caribbean stud for freeplay or real money, so American casino game enthusiasts should be able to enjoy free gaming on about 60 to 65 different RTG sites. Seven different Rival Gaming sites offer similar play opportunities for American non-gamblers. Those are the best options for casino-style gaming for American and UK players, but let’s take a look at some free options for people who don’t want to register with a casino site.
Caribbean Stud Poker by Bob Stevenson – Bob Stevenson’s Caribbean stud poker app as a beat the dealer mode, tactile buttons, and a progressive jackpots. Stats also show the total hands you’ve played and a best hand option. This free installation came online in 2011 and works for Android 1.6 and up.
22-in-1 Casino & Sportsbook – GApp Technology has a 22-in-1 Casino and Sportsbook application which includes a number of classic games, new games, and oddball options. Video poker, slot machines, and blackjack dominate the list, but players also get the option to play Caribbean stud, keno, baccarat, and red dog. Sportsbook betting is also available, with authentic odds and smooth gameplay. The current version is for Android 2.2 and up.
Grab’s Caribbean Stud App – The mobile application design company Grab’s marketing slogan for their “Caribbean Stud Poker” app states it’s the only official app for the game. That might be the case as far as Facebook gaming goes, because users of this app who connect to Facebook receive VIP bonus chips and gifts for Facebook friends. The game itself has a 200:1 payout. Players need a 2.2 or later Android OS.
Classic Caribbean Poker – Classic Caribbean Poker is a creation of QiYo Creative Network Technology Company Ltd. This 6-deck game offers a 20,000 max chip stack and is available for Android 2.3.3 or later devices. Payouts in this version follow the standard pattern, with a royal flush paying 100:1 on the main game. Downloading the app is free.
Casino App Warning
I should warn players that not all casino applications are the same. I found reviews for one Caribbean stud app where multiple players suggested the designers didn’t know the hand ranks. Several complained they had winning hands, only to find they were losing. Another mentioned they won with 10-high against a pair of aces. Though you’d be more offended if this were a download you paid for, you have to be especially careful when choosing free apps, since the developers might not pay quite as much attention to detail. Read the reviews before downloading and go with the weight of the opinion–not just one well-written review.
More Free Caribbean Stud Games / Apps
Playing on Facebook, with mobile gaming devices, or at the real money casinos aren’t the only options. Many gambling sites offer tutorial programs and Java script instructional tools to help new players learn the game. Money is on the line in a land-based casinos, so don’t learn while you’re playing for real money. Get an idea for the bets and what kind of return you can expect before stepping up to the Caribbean stud poker table at the live casino. The same goes if you’re playing for real money at an online casino. Practice and learn for free, then decide whether Caribbean stud is the game you want to play.
Caribbean Stud Payout Table
- 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 1 to 1
Caribbean Stud Glossary
Here are the terms you need to know before jumping into a game of Caribbean stud poker.
- Ace-King – Ace-King is a five-card Caribbean stud hand. Ace-King is less valuable than a pair, but by virtue of containing both an Ace and a King is more valuable than a high card hand.
- Ante Bet – Ante bet is the mandatory bet that starts the game and must be made before the hands are dealt.
- Ante Box – All ante bets in Caribbean stud must be placed in the ante box, which is located in front of the raise bet box.
- Raise Bet – Raise Bet is the area on the gaming surface, located behind the ante bet spot, where all raise wagers are placed. These wagers take place after the dealing of the cards. A raise bet is a wager meaning the player is not going to fold. All raise bets must be twice the amount of the ante originally placed to start the game.
- Bonus Payout – A bonus payout in Caribbean stud is the amount of money paid to a player when he places a raised bet and the dealer qualifies. Bonus payout is not the same as the progressive jackpot payout in Caribbean stud.
- Fold – In card games, a player folds when they choose to end the game rather than placing a raise bet to keep playing.
- Progressive Bet – The progressive bet in Caribbean stud is the biggest difference between five-card stud and Caribbean stud. Progressive bets are placed before the hands are dealt and it means that the player wants to take a crack at the progressive jackpot. This $1 bet is always placed above the ante bet spot on the table.
- Progressive Jackpot – In the casino, a progressive jackpot is any jackpot that builds up over time. These exist mostly in slot machine games, though games like Caribbean stud also offer progressive bets.
- Progressive Payout Bonus – Progressive payout bonus is the amount the casino pays out to bettors who win the progressive bet.
- Progressive Payout Schedule – This is another name for the progressive payout bonus, used in some casino Caribbean stud games.
- Progressive Slot – This is another name for the betting area on the Caribbean stud table where players are meant to place their $1 progressive jackpot wager.
- Push – In casino games, a push is a tie between the player and the dealer. In a push, neither the dealer nor the gambler wins, and player wagers are returned to their chip stack.
- Upcard – The word upcard is used in many casino games to refer to any face up card visible to all players.
Slot Games
Caribbean Stud Payouts
The payouts on the Caribbean stud main game include 100:1 for the royal flush, 50:1 for a straight flush, 20:1 for a four of a kind, 7:1 for a full house, 5:1 for a flush, 4:1 for a straight, 3:1 for a three of a kind, 2:1 for two pair, and 1:1 for any one pair (which qualifies).
Caribbean stud offers a progressive jackpot payout, if you make the side bet. This bet is quite similar to the progressive used in Let It Ride (or it’s Microgaming equivalent, Poker Pursuit) these days, if you’re familiar with that game. The royal flush pays 100% of the progressive, while the straight flush pays 10% of the progressive jackpot. If you get a four of a kind and the side bet is activated, then you receive an additional $500. A full house pays $100, while a flush pays $50. Keep in mind that most side bets in gambling have a higher house edge than the main bet. Sometimes, the house edge is much higher, which is the case with Caribbean stud. Of course, that might not matter much to you, if you play for free. Let’s talk about where you can play for free online.
How to Cheat at Caribbean Stud Poker
Casino table games based on poker have grown in popularity since their invention in the 80s and 90s. These games were invented in part to sell automatic shuffling machines and in part to take advantage of the boom in poker’s popularity. Table games are not the most profitable games in the casino–that honor goes to slot and video poker machines, but when table games based on poker are invented that give the casino the kind of edge that turns them a big profit, casinos are quick to add them to the casino floor. These factors have led to the spread of Caribbean Stud, a table game based on the basic concepts of poker with some additional rules that give the casino a better edge.
Caribbean Stud uses standard poker hand rankings to reward winning combinations along with a progressive jackpot, popular among casino gamblers because of the appeal of big payouts. It should come as no surprise that Caribbean Stud originated in the Caribbean. In Caribbean casinos, Caribbean Stud was marketed as a variation of the traditional five-card stud poker game but without heads-up play.
Caribbean Stud and five card stud have similar rules, but the way the bets are set up and a few other rules makes Caribbean Stud a poor gamble for the casino player. That’s why the progressive jackpot was added to the game, to attract casino gamblers to play a game that otherwise offered such bad odds that many educated gamblers would avoid the game.
The game of Caribbean Stud first appeared on the island of Aruba as late as 1988. Aruba’s Holiday Inn Hotel and Casino invented it, they, say; the hotel has since been renamed the Excelsior Casino. In modern America, each player plays his hand against the dealer, and for an additional side bet of one dollar, players have the chance of hitting the jackpot.
All of the losing side bets are collected and placed into a pool, as more side bets are made, the jackpot increases, where eventually the next player to hit a royal flush will take it all.
Caribbean Stud Poker: Collusion & Cheating
Along with advances in the rules of the game and the technology that runs the game, advances in ways to cheat Caribbean Stud have developed. For example, early games of Caribbean Stud did not specifically disallow gamblers from sharing information about their cards or the value of their hands. This seems like a no-brainer, since in Caribbean Stud, every player in the game is playing against the dealer, not against each other. Still, knowing what cards other players have in their hands can help gamblers decide whether it is better to raise or fold. This kind of player collusion gave gamblers an edge over the dealer and thus over the casino.
Caribbean Stud available in an online format is also open to collusion. It isn’t possible for online casinos to prevent players from sharing information about their hands at the same online table. It may be illegal for players to share such information while playing card games online, but there’s little to stop online Caribbean Stud players from colluding this way.
Another form of collusion that Caribbean Stud is vulnerable to is dealer collusion. All casino games are vulnerable to this form of cheating, where cheats work with a dealer ahead of time to help them beat the casino. Collusion in Caribbean Stud can take many forms, from the dealer outright signalling to the players if it is in their interest to bet, to more subtle signals indicating what cards the dealer holds or what cards will appear next in the deal.
Traditional Poker Cheating in Caribbean Stud
Since Caribbean Stud is based on five card stud poker rules, all of the traditional cheats used in poker apply to the game. Card marking, passing cards beneath the table, and all other means of gaining an unfair advantage can be used to influence the outcome of Caribbean Stud.
Marking cards, by means of scratching or otherwise placing a mark on a card that is visible to the player, can be used to mark high value or important cards so that a cheater can see the card about to enter play. In a game like Caribbean Stud, where a progressive jackpot is available, the marking of a card could help a cheater know when to make a progressive bet.
Marking cards can also indicate to a cheater whether or not the dealer’s hand will qualify, meaning all players who placed an ante bet will win. Marking cards may not give cheaters the kind of advantage in Caribbean Stud that it would in other games of poker, but there’s no doubt that cheaters will try anything to give them an edge against the casino.
Palming or hiding cards in sleeves is another common cheating method employed by casino cheats in any game involving cards. High value cards are hidden in sleeves or other means and added to the game to help them win. Thanks to high-tech casino security and the watchful eyes of dealers, hiding cards up your sleeve or through other means is not likely to go unnoticed.
The rules of Caribbean Stud are set up so that there isn’t much room to cheat. Outside of dealer collusion, cheating at Caribbean Stud is a difficult prospect. Strategy in Caribbean Stud is nowhere near the level of strategy found in other card games, so cheating at Caribbean Stud is not likely to be profitable for the casino cheat. But that doesn’t stop some cheaters from trying to turn the game to their advantage.
High or Low Limit? What Is Best For You?
High limit Caribbean stud online fluctuates a lot from one casino network to the next. The various online casino software companies each set a range for their games. Most casinos license their software package from these companies, though some create their own proprietary software. Those who prefer to use a third-party casino software support team form a network with similar betting policies. While welcome bonuses, no-deposit bonuses, and continuing VIP rewards programs can be much different, these sites bet limits remain unchanged for the most part. For that reason, I’ll discuss the betting parameters according to software providers, not individual websites.
Remember that the high limits are lower on most Caribbean stud games (online or offline), because you have to raise your bet twice to stay in the game. That means the ante bet needs to be about one-third what it would be on a game like Let It Ride, where two-thirds of an ante bet can be removed later in the hand.
Why Bet High On Caribbean Stud?
That’s not such a bad thing. High rollers who want to wager huge amounts of money should consider playing games with a better house edge. If you like strategy, blackjack or video poker offer a house edge of 1% or less. If you prefer a pure game of chance, then play games like baccarat or craps, which require no skill and still have a house edge under 1.50% (at least for the best bets in those games). I’ll say no more to high rollers who simply love the thrill of Caribbean stud poker or who want to play a poker-style game while chasing a progressive jackpot. If that last sentence describes you, here’s where to find the highest limits for online Caribbean stud poker.
Playing Low Limit Caribbean Stud in Las Vegas
Several Las Vegas casinos still offer Caribbean stud at lower bet limits. Bally’s Casino and Monte Carlo Casino each offer $5 Caribbean stud poker. The max bet at both sites is $100. The Palazzo Casino and the Venetian Casino each offer $10 minimum Caribbean stud poker. The maximum bet at the Palazzo and Venetian is $500. The Wynn Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, and Golden Nugget offered Caribbean stud until 2011 or 2012, but they have since discontinued games. Stud poker variants have never been that popular in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Vegas is a hold’em and community card city. It’s no surprise Caribbean stud is a little less popular there.
The house edge on Caribbean stud can be high, if you don’t understand basic strategy on the game. For the ante bet, the house edge is 5.2%, meaning you’ll give up $5.22 for every $100.00 you wager on Caribbean stud, on average. That doesn’t mean you’re destined to lose. Players walk out with big amounts on the Caribbean stud every day, but the average player is going to lose that amount for every one hundred bucks spent.
When you use basic strategy to raise your bets at the appropriate time, the hosue edge lowers to a healthier 2.6%. That is within the range of games like roulette and craps, so Caribbean stud poker becomes a viable game at that point. Learn the Caribbean stud poker basic strategy chart, which you can find (and have at your side) while you play.
How the House Edge Works in Caribbean Stud Poker
The house edge on the Caribbean stud main bet is 5.22%. The average house edge for the progressive side bet is 26.46%, though the size of the jackpot determines what the house edge is.
- If you’re playing at a $10,000 jackpot machine, then the house edge balloons to around 60%.
- If you play on a machine with a $100,000 jackpot, then the house edge sits around 34%.
- A progressive jackpot of $120,000 constitutes the aforementioned 26% casino advantage, while a $200,000 jackpot means the jackpot sit at about 5%–the same as the main bet.
- If the jackpot were to increase to $200,000, you’d face an even-money wager, while anything beyond that would give you a positive expectation gambling experience. Unfortunately, that size jackpot hasn’t happened yet.
If you play the progressive side bet, then you have to add together the effective house edge from the main bet and side bet. If you bet $1 on the main bet and $1 on the side bet, you would simply take the average of the two. If you bet $5 on the main bet and $1 on the side bet, then the main bet has five times the impact on the house edge that the side bet does.
If you’re a high roller starting with a $100 ante bet and re-raising twice, then the main bet is factored in 300x more than the $1 side bet. That’s why the high roller gets an advantage in Caribbean stud over their low stakes fellow gamblers, because their betting is much close to the 5.22% standard house edge. That extra $1 pledged to the jackpot is a drop in the bucket.
Those too concerned about the payback percentage of Caribbean stud poker probably wouldn’t be playing the game anyway. High rollers playing for the thrill can afford to pay for that adrenaline rush, but I still suggest you play at a bet limit as low as possible, which still gives you the adrenaline rush. You’re not trying to impress a date while playing online at home on your computer, so save the money for something impressive offline.
Understanding Progressive Caribbean Stud
Progressive Caribbean stud plays just like the classic version of Caribbean stud poker, except a side bet is offered. The side bet pays out when you collect a 5-card hand with a three of a kind, full house, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush. The royal flush is primary prize winner for the progressive jackpot. Those who hit the royal get 100% of the progressive. If you hit a straight flush instead, you’ll receive 10% of the progressive jackpot amount. The other winning hands have fixed prize amounts.
The bonus game in progressive Caribbean stud poker thus plays similarly to the payout table for a jacks or better progressive video poker table, though you won’t get paid for high pairs or two pairs. In this article, I want to discuss the biggest jackpot amounts that have been hit, where you’re likely to find progressive Caribbean stud, and what the house edge is on this game.
What Was the Largest Caribbean Stud Jackpot Win Online?
The largest online payout for a UK progressive Caribbean stud game was £166,280.72. This was at one of the big brand name online casinos licensed in Gibraltar and based out of the United Kingdom. US casinos are likely to have $100,000 Caribbean stud jackpots periodically, though the largest prize being offered in the American market I see right now is a little over $96,000. That’s still a huge payout offer. Few players would turn their nose up at such a prize.
Progressive Jackpot Side Bet
To play using the Caribbean stud progressive jackpot rules, players need to wager $1 on each hand. If you get a royal flush, the progressive jackpot pays out 100% of its flashing total. If the straight flush is what you collect, the payout is going to be 10% of the jackpot amount.
What Was the Biggest US Caribbean Stud Jackpot?
The largest Caribbean stud jackpot in a US casino I see on the Internet right now is just over $72,000. When I say it’s an American casino, I mean this is a site which accept real money casino game players from the United States. These sites are going to be based in places like Curacao and Panama, while they’ll be licensed and regulated in countries like Antigua and Barbuda, the Netherlands Antilles, and the Kahnawake Nation. No legitimate online casinos are going to be based and licensed in America, because the U.S. government has anti-gambling laws like the UIGEA. Even the US casino sites are going to turn away players from certain US states. The point being, gamblers from the United States who want to find a real money game of progressive Caribbean stud poker usually can find jackpots in the high five-figures.
How the Side Bet Works
When you place your $1 side bet, the casino takes between $0.29 and $0.35 into their coffers. The other $0.65 to $0.71 of the wager is paid into the progressive jackpot. If you don’t hit a royal flush or a straight flush, then the jackpot grows by the amount which was paid in. The reset amount is usually $10,000, meaning the jackpot goes back to $10,000 if someone hits the royal flush. If the straight flush is hit, then the player gets 10% of the jackpot amount and the progressive is reduced by that amount, though it doesn’t reset altogether.
Multiple players sit at a table of Caribbean stud, which means you both have a chance of hitting the progressive at the same time (though the chances of this happening are astronomically bad). If this were to happen, remember that payouts are made right to left according to the dealer, or left to right according to you. If you hit the progressive jackpot, but a player to your left also did so, they would be paid the total amount of the progressive jackpot. The jackpot would reset and you would be paid $10,000 (and probably pull your hair out). This is so unlikely to happen that it’s hardly worth considering the possibility, but I’ve heard of one case where the 10% straight flush hand hit twice and the player sitting further to the dealer’s left was paid out less.
How Often Do Online Progressives Hit?
It’s hard to get comprehensive numbers on the progressive jackpots online, but the incomplete statistics I’ve seen suggest that a high-traffic online casino is going to pay out on a royal flush jackpot once every month or so. It takes about 40,000 hands on average for a royal flush to appear. One prominent website publicized its Caribbean stud poker progressive winners for one calendar year and about one jackpot was hit per month. In fact, the jackpot came pretty regularly, though two hit in 2 days in July. Don’t take this information and assume you can predict when a progressive is “due”. Every single hand has the exact same odds of hitting the royal flush as every other hand. If a progressive jackpot has gone a long time without hitting, it is no more likely than the jackpot which reset yesterday, as the one example indicates.
What is the Expected Return on a Progressive Game?
Caribbean Stud odds are separate from the expected return on a progressive jackpot, because the payouts increase the further you go. Your expectation must be recalculated each step of the way. A Caribbean stud poker game is eventually going to become a positive expectation game, when the jackpot prize reaches a certain limit. Most of the time, that’s not the case. In fact, the house edge on Caribbean stud poker’s progressive side bet is often as high as 26.5%, which qualifies the progressive as a sucker bet.
How the Progressive Jackpot Works
The progressive jackpot is a side bet, so you need to make an additional $1 to trigger the bet. If the bet is triggered and you receive a royal flush, you win the amount of the progressive jackpot (for the side bet) and 100x your initial wager (on the main bet). If you don’t make the side bet and you hit a royal flush, then you would only win the 100x payout.
Winning $100 on the dollar is a nice payback, but it’s nothing compared to the size of the progressive jackpot. For that reason, most people who play Caribbean stud poker choose to play the progressive side bet. In many cases, that’s the reason people flock to the Caribbean stud table. The jackpot starts at $10,000, but every time someone makes the bet and doesn’t hit the royal flush (or a straight flush), the jackpot increases.
Odds & Payout on Straight Flush
Let me explain my oblique reference to the straight flush. While the royal flush wins you 100% of the progressive, a straight flush wins 10% of the jackpot, if you made the side bet. So if the jackpot is at $75,000 and you make a straight flush, the payout is $7,500. This is an important rule, because it increases your chances of hitting a nice jackpot by a factor over 9. The odds of hitting a royal flush are 1 in 649,351 hands. The odds of hitting a straight flush are are 1 in 72,202 hands. So while those jackpots are 10 times smaller, they are almost 10 times as frequent.
Progressive Jackpot House Edge
Don’t be under any illusions, though. The house edge on the side bet is significant. In fact, it’s so high that gamblers consider it a “sucker bet”. The average house edge is 26.46%. Yes, for every $100 players wager on the bet, they lose $26.46. That’s a worse payback percentage than most games of keno. In fact, that starts to get into the territory of the payback percentage of lottery games–just an awful disadvantage.
Why Play the Progressive?
Caribbean Stud Online
You might ask why anyone would make the progressive wager. I’ve known gamblers who just enjoy the idea of hitting the progressive. If they’re making a $5 bet on the main hand, they see making a $6 bet for both as negligible. This is how casinos stay in business, because they realize that a $6 is 20% more and, over a whole lot wagers with a whole lot of customers, that turns into an immense amount of money. At the same time, I’ve talked to Caribbean stud players who say they couldn’t sleep at night if they hit the royal flush and hadn’t played the progressive bet.
Gamblers can have valid reasons for making a wager that don’t have to do with mathematical probability. That doesn’t mean they should ignore the math. If you’re playing for the sake of entertainment, just know the odds you’re up against. For instance, players need to understand the average house edge implies a range of possibilities. If the jackpot is less than about $110,000, then you face worse odds than the 26.46% I mentioned a bit ago.
Caribbean Stud Rules & How to Play
Most games are played on a table similar to the betting surface of a game of blackjack, with as many as seven people playing at once. Part of the appeal of the game is that your only competition is the house itself; players do not compete against each other, making Caribbean Stud a friendly affair.
In front of your seat is a space marked Ante, a space marked Bet, and the usual accoutrements of a gaming table, like drop slots and other casino trappings. Your table will probably be labeled with a bet minimum; for this game, expect minimum antes of $5 or $10.
You must make an ante bet to start the game; each player that places the ante bet (and the dealer) are dealt five cards. The dealer reveals one card from his hand, placing it face-up so all players can see it. Once the dealer shows a card, you can pick up your own hand and give it a look.
Now it is decision time. Get ready to decide if you want to stay in the game or not. Once you’ve examined your cards, you have two choices: fold the hand by putting your cards face-down in front of the dealer or continue playing by placing a bet on the proper area of the betting surface. If you fold, the dealer takes your cards and your ante, and you are out of this hand. If you decide to continue, you have to place a bet which is exactly twice the size of your initial ante bet. If your ante was $5, you have to add another $10 bet.
How to Win at Caribbean Stud Poker
There is no sure-fire way to win consistently at Caribbean Stud. The casino holds a slightly higher than 5% edge that no amount of strategy or wagering tactics can overcome. Here are some pointers to make your game a little more enjoyable and a little less likely to drain your wallet:
For starters, don’t place the $1 progressive side bet. The house edge on these side bets is usually over 20%.
Always place a bet on any hand of A-K-J-8-3 or better; this bet reduces the casino’s edge because it beats the dealer’s lowest possible qualifying bet, which forces the dealer to play.
If your hand contains a pair or better, go ahead and place a bet.
Holding an ace and a king? Place a bet only if one of your other three cards matches the card the dealer shows.
Finally, and this is the most important tip of all, only play the game if you’re having fun. Gambling is entertainment. If this game starts to make you mad, step away and go play something else. Have a drink. Take a walk. Take a nap. Just don’t keep feeding the casino’s coffers.
![Stud Stud](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125229100/530324541.png)
The game of Caribbean Stud Poker is a casino game, not a poker game. The difference is that in a real poker game, you’re playing against the other players. In a casino game, you’re playing against the house. One of the best examples is blackjack, which is game in which the other players’ totals don’t matter one whit. The only totals that matter (to you) are yours and the dealer’s. Understanding Caribbean Stud Poker strategy begins with understanding that it’s a game where you play against the house.
Caribbean Stud Poker became popular originally on various casino-friendly Caribbean island, hence the name, and then it became popular on ships where gambling was allowed. It has since spread to mainstream casinos in destinations like Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, and others, and it’s continued to grow popular since its introduction.
Casino
Rating
Play Now
- 100% up to £1000
- 100% up to $300
How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker
I used blackjack as an example earlier, and it’s an appropriate one, because a Caribbean Stud Poker tables looks almost just like a blackjack table. It’s a semi-circular table with room for a single dealer on one side and seven players on the other side.
The Caribbean Stud Poker Deck
Caribbean Stud Poker is played with a 52 card deck, which is usually randomized using an automatic shuffling machine. On the players’ side of the table, each player has a spot on the table where she can place an “ante” and a spot where she can place a “bet”.
Caribbean Stud Poker Hands
Caribbean Stud rules are much simpler than most poker variants, though the rules are similar to poker games you’ve played. In fact, one reason Caribbean Stud Poker is so popular is the hand ranks are the same as in Texas Hold’em. Those new to the game might need a primer on the Caribbean Stud Poker hands, so we’ve included a table below as a study guide. The top hand is best, while the bottom hand is worst.
- Royal Flush: A-K-Q-J-10 of any one suit: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, Clubs.
- Straight Flush: Any 5 cards in a sequence of any one suit.
- Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.
- Full House: Three of a kind, plus a pair.
- Flush: All five cards of one suit: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, Clubs.
- Straight: Any 5 cards in a sequence. Suit does not matter.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Two Pairs: Two cards of the same rank, plus (another) two cards of the same rank.
- One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- High Card: Ace is best. In descending order, A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.
The Caribbean Stud Ante
The ante is a mandatory bet, and if you want to play, you have to make the ante bet. Once all the players have made their ante bet, the dealer takes sets of five cards for each player and for herself from the automatic shuffling machine.
The dealer then reveals the top card of her five card hand to the players, who haven’t looked at their cards yet. Once she reveals her top card, she’ll push your five card set closer to you. That’s when you can look at your hand.
You can then decide how good you think your five card hand is. This requires an understanding of the standard ranks of poker hands. If you don’t think you’re likely to win, you can fold. If you fold, you lose your ante, but no further money.
The Caribbean Stud Bet
On the other hand, if you like your hand, to stay in you have to place an additional bet, which is always twice the size of the ante bet that you placed earlier. For example, if the ante were $10, and you liked your hand, you would place an additional $20 in order to continue playing.
If the Dealer Qualifies
After the players have each either folded or bet, the dealer reveals her cards and arranges them into the highest-ranking poker hand she can. She tries to “qualify.” That means her poker hand needs to be Ace-King or better; if her hand is lower in rank than that, the dealer doesn’t qualify.
If the dealer qualifies, then the players each compare their hand to the dealer’s hand to see whether or not it ranks higher. If the player wins, she gets even money on the ante. The player also gets paid off on the bet based on the following payout schedule, based on the strength of her hand:
Hand | Payout |
One pair or lower | 1 to 1 |
Two pair | 2 to 1 |
Three of a kind | 3 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
Flush | 5 to 1 |
Full house | 7 to 1 |
Four of a kind | 20 to 1 |
Straight flush | 50 to 1 |
Royal flush | 100 to 1 |
If the player loses, then the house gets both her ante and her bet. If there’s a tie, the player gets her ante and her bet back, but no winnings.
If the Dealer Doesn’t Qualify
If the dealer doesn’t qualify, then all the players who stayed in win. But there’s a catch, and it’s important. They only win their ante bet. The other bet is returned, but not paid off.
This can be the most irritating aspect of Caribbean Stud Poker. Suppose you’re dealt a royal flush. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, you only get even money on your ante bet. The payouts in the chart above ONLY matter if the dealer qualifies.
The Progressive Jackpot
Gambling games are games of exceptions to the rule, and Caribbean Stud Poker is no different. You do have an option to get paid off even if the dealer doesn’t qualify, and that’s the progressive jackpot.
The progressive jackpot bet is a third bet available to Caribbean Stud Poker player. This bet usually costs $1 to play, but it gives the player the opportunity to win a progressive jackpot that’s usually over $100,000. If your hand is a flush or better, you can win some or all of the jackpot.
The amounts of these winnings vary from casino to casino, but the table below lists some of the more common payouts on the progressive jackpot bet.
Hand | Progressive payout |
Royal flush | 100% of the jackpot |
Straight flush | 10% of the jackpot |
Four of a kind | $100 to $500 |
Full house | $75 to $250 |
Flush | $50 to $100 |
If more than one player qualifies for the jackpot, usually they’ll split it. But some casinos have a rule that the player closest to the dealer’s left wins the progressive jackpot.
The odds of two players getting a straight flush at the same table on the same hand are astronomical, though–if you’re ever in such a situation, write to me and tell me about it.
Best Caribbean Stud Poker Gambling Sites
Caribbean Stud Poker is popular, so it can be found at almost all online casinos. However, it is important to choose the best Caribbean Stud Poker casino to play, because offer a bigger bonus or a bonus with a better wagering requirement. Some online casinos also have better bet limits for your bankroll, or better odds on the Caribbean Stud Poker bonus bet. Finally, when it’s time to withdraw your winnings, some online casinos pay on time and some don’t, so researching the best site is important.
Slots.lv – $7500 Bitcoin Deposit Bonus
Slots.lv offers a $5,000 welcome bonus on most payment methods and a $7,500 bitcoin welcome bonus. Caribbean Stud Poker has a 20% contribution rate on both of these bonus promotions. For every $100 wagered on Caribbean Stud Poker, it contributes $20 to clearing the wagering requirement. Slots.lv supports live dealer games on smartphone or tablet computers.
- Bonus: $7500 Bitcoin Bonus
- Betting Limits: Raised upon Request
BetOnline – $250 Bets on Caribbean Stud Poker
BetOnline is a good place for high rollers to bet on Caribbean Stud Poker. Their casino advertises a $250 max bet on Caribbean Stud at the moment, with Caribbean Poker also a betting option. BetOnline Casino offers a 100%, $1,000 welcome bonus for new players that includes Caribbean Stud Poker as a play option. BetOnline also offers a $25 live dealer casino bonus with $5 to $100 bet limits, but their live games are limited to roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and Casino Hold’em.
- Bonus: $1000 welcome Bonus
- Betting Limits: $250 Max Bet
Caribbean Stud Poker Rules
Caribbean Stud Poker does have some rules that players should be aware of. One important rule is that you’re not allowed to share information about what’s in your hand with the other players in the game until the showdown.
Rule #1: You can only play one hand per game.
Rule #2: You must keep your cards within view of the dealer at all times.
Rule #3: You can only touch your cards once. After you’ve examined them and made your decision, don’t touch them again.
Rule #4: The Dealer Must Qualify – The dealer must qualify with an ace-king or higher or the player automatically wins the Ante Bet. The lowest qualifying hand would be A-K-4-3-2, while the highest non-qualifying hand would be A-Q-J-10-9. If the dealer fails to qualify, the player would win the ante bet and the raise bet would be a push.
Rule #5: Progressive Side Bet – The progressive side bet is based entirely on the strength of your own Caribbean Stud Poker hands. The strength of the dealer’s hand does not matter. Look at the Caribbean Stud Poker pay table to see whether you win and what your winnings might be.
The House Edge in Caribbean Stud Poker
The house edge in Caribbean Stud Poker will vary according to the payout schedule for the progressive jackpot, but it’s usually around 5%, making it comparable to roulette, mathematically.
The house edge comes from the betting structure. 44% of the time, the dealer won’t qualify, so you’ll only win your ante.
The other 56% of the time, the dealer will qualify, and you’ll have about a 50/50 chance of beating the dealer. But in order to stay in the game and try to beat the dealer, you have to triple the amount of money you’re wagering. (Remember–the bet is always twice the size of the ante, and you have to place the bet in order to stay in the hand).
Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy
Players should follow some simple strategies to win at Caribbean Stud Poker:
- You should always make the bet if you have a pair or better.
- You should also make the bet if you have an Ace King and at least one of your other cards matches the dealer’s upcard.
- You should also make the bet if you have Ace King Queen or Ace King Jack and ANY of your cards matches the dealer’s upcard.
- If you hold Ace King Queen and two other cards, make the bet if the higher of those two other cards is higher than the dealer’s upcard.
- Otherwise, fold.
If you play with this strategy, and if you avoid the progressive side bet, you’ll be giving the house an edge of 5.22%.
Simple Strategy to Follow
If that strategy seems too complicated, you can follow a much simpler strategy and only give up 0.1% on the game.
The simple strategy? Bet if you have AKJ83 or better; otherwise fold.
The simple strategy for Caribbean Stud Poker gives the house an edge of 5.32% instead of 5.22%.
Progressive Jackpot Strategy for Caribbean Stud Poker
If the progressive jackpot is over $352,150, the you have a mathematical edge over the casino when you make the optional $1 side bet. You’re still unlikely to win, but any time you can get an edge over a casino, it’s worth making the bet if you can afford it.
If the progressive jackpot is under that amount, don’t make the side bet, because the house has the edge.
Caribbean Stud Poker is a lot of fun, and usually the other people playing at the table with you are social and some of them are even inebriated. It’s a game worth playing if you like slow, social card games where you don’t have to compete with the other players at the table.
I’m indebted to American Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling: Winning Ways by Andrew Brisman for most of the information presented on this page.
Caribbean Stud Poker Tips
Strategy might give you an overview of how to play a game, but the Caribbean Stud Poker tips below provide in-game tactics you’ll use to execute the strategy better. Follow the tips below and you’ll have a bigger bankroll and enjoy Caribbean Stud Poker sessions better.
Tip #1: When to Raise – Always raise when you have a pair of better. Raise with an Ace-King in any of the follow three scenarios.
- Raise when the dealer’s card is 2 thru Queen and one card matches your own.
- Raise if the dealer’s card is less than your 4th-highest card and you’re holding a Queen.
- Raise if the dealer holds an Ace or King and you have a Queen or a Jack in hand.
Tip #2: When to Fold – Always fold with less than an Ace-King. If you hold an Ace-Queen, fold the hand.
- Do not hesitate to fold with an A-Q or worse. This is less than the dealer’s minimum qualifying hand, so it’s a sure loser.
- Also fold when you hold an Ace-King and none of the 3 scenarios in Tip #1 are given. It’s hard to throw away chips, but dumping your chips in this situation is the optimal play.
Caribbean Stud Odds and Payouts
Caribbean Stud Poker is a casino game with specific odds. Players make informed decisions when they know the expected return, so let’s take a look at the Caribbean Stud odds and payout charts. Even though the payouts are quite simple, Caribbean Stud has a main game and a side bet, so the pay tables confuse some people. We provide printable Caribbean Poker odds and payout tables below, so you can have the numbers in front at your wide while you play.
Odds and Payouts Compared
HAND | ODDS TO GET HAND | PAYOUT |
Royal Flush | 0.0001% | 100 to 1 |
Straight Flush | 0.0008% | 50 to 1 |
Four of a Kind | 0.014% | 20 to 1 |
Full House | 0.08% | 7 to 1 |
Flush | 0.11% | 5 to 1 |
Straight | 0.22% | 4 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 1.18% | 3 to 1 |
Two Pair | 2.45% | 2 to 1 |
Pair or Less | 11.76% | 1 to 1 |
Dealer Doesn’t Qualify | 22.73% | 1 to 1 |
Though the odds of getting a top hand are very low, it is still possible. When you aren’t winning the top payouts, you’ll win a lot of smaller payouts. Remember that you only need to beat the dealer to win. The dealer busts 22% of the hands, so that represents a large part of your chances to win a payout when playing Caribbean Stud Poker.
Caribbean Stud Poker – Side Bet Pay Table
Those who place the side bet in also need to know the Caribbean Stud Poker side bet odds and payouts. It can be difficult to know the right Caribbean Poker Strategy for the side bet, because there are 10 separate side bet pay tables commonly used. In all versions, the royal flush pays out 100% of the jackpot. In most versions, the straight flush pays out 10%, but occasionally this hand pays out a flat jackpot. The differences are how the four of a kind, full house, and flush are paid.
Side Bet Odds and Payouts – Compared
HAND | ODDS TO GET HAND | PAYOUT |
Royal Flush | 0.0001% | 100% of Progressive |
Straight Flush | 0.0008% | 10% of Progressive |
Four of a Kind | 0.014% | $100, $150, or $500 |
Full House | 0.08% | $75, $100, or $150 |
Flush | 0.11% | $50 or $75 |
Straight or Less | 76% | No Payout |
You need a strong hand to win the side bet, but Caribbean Stud Poker payouts for the bonus game are large. The side bet has a winnable progressive jackpot, which a whole new dynamic to your Caribbean Poker Strategy. The breakeven point on the progressive side bet is between $176,611.05 and $263,205.26, depending on the payouts on the non-progressive hands. The average house edge on the side bet is 26.46%, which makes this a sucker bet. That’s the case with progressive jackpot games in general, but the accumulated pots add a lot of fun and excitement to the game for some players.
Live Caribbean Stud Poker
Live Caribbean Stud Poker is played online in the live dealer section of a casino website. A real-life dealer in a casino studio deals the cards while they online casino streams the video live in real time to your computer or mobile device. The best online casinos these days use live dealer software to provide table games like roulette, blackjack, and Caribbean Stud Poker.
Benefits of Playing Caribbean Stud with a Real Dealer
Playing Caribbean Stud with a real dealer offers several benefits. When you play Caribbean Stud Poker with a live dealer in the mix, you do so from the comfort and privacy of your own home. The downside to traditional online Caribbean Stud Poker is the use of random number generators and video simulations, but for players who prefer real people dealing a real hand of cards, that impediment is no longer necessary.
Benefit #1: Attractive and Helpful Dealers
Online casinos staff their live dealer studios with attractive, friendly dealers. These staff members provide conversation and entertainment throughout the Caribbean Stud Poker session. If you have questions, a real person answers them. Live dealers provide a personal touch that no software ever could.
Benefit #2: Results Generated by Human Beings
The random number generators used by casinos are 35-year-old technology, so they’re reliable and trustworthy, but table games were designed to be played with real dealers. Live dealer Caribbean Stud Poker restores the game to the way it first gained its popularity. Cutting edge streaming video keeps the camera on the cards the entire time they are dealt.
Benefit #3: Special Bonus Promotions
Many live dealer casinos send around a bonus attendant who offers special bonuses throughout the game session. These might be free giveaways or fun bonus Q&A games, where you win freeplay money for winning the game. These moments enhance the excitement of playing with real life people in the mix.