Caribbean poker

Among all the poker variations that are played against the house, Caribbean stud poker remains the most popular. It attracts both novice and established players who find the game effortless to play.

It is easy to learn and understand thanks to its simple rules. With the right skills and strategy, you will ace it with several tips.

It is noteworthy that however good you are at playing Caribbean poker, the house edge is always 5%. This is rather unfortunate compared to table games such as roulette, blackjack, Ultimate Texas Holdem, or Three card poker.

All in all, you will derive more joy when playing Caribbean Poker as a group, like with a couple of your friends. You can also strike it rich with the jackpot but be aware that the entertainment will slightly eat into your pocket.

The rules

The very first thing you should familiarize yourself with is how the hands are ranked. It should be easy if you have played other poker variations before, such as Omaha, Stud, Hold ’em, or Stud.

The hands usually rank from a royal flush(highest) to a high card (lowest). Suits typically do not affect the game.

Caribbean Stud Poker is generally played against the house, and even though more people may be present at the table, the main objective is to defeat the dealer.

As you begin the play, the ante must be placed on its spot. All players are then dealt with 5 cards, each facedown. The players also pick 5 cards, with one card facing up so others can see it.

Afterward, you may look at your cards and decide but ensure no other player sees your cards, or it might get you into trouble. Two options are available after looking at your hand:

• Play: Placing a bet that is twice the ante
• Fold: giving up the ante

Once everyone has settled on their preferred option, the dealer turns over the remaining cards and goes ahead to award the winners.

The payouts

With all cards lying on their back, every player’s hand is compared against the dealer’s hand at the table. The payment is 1 to 1 on your ante for hand stronger than the dealers.

But note that you are only accorded the payment if the dealer qualifies by having a hand that is AceKing or better.

On the condition that the dealer doesn’t qualify, you are paid on your ante, and the play bets are restored to players without a profit.

A pay exceeding 1 to 1 on your bet is still possible. In case you are assigned a hand that’s two pairs or better, the winners are paid as below:

• 2 pair pays two to one
• 3 of a kind rewards 3-1
• Straight, 4 to 1
• Flushes, 5 to 1
• Full boats, 7 to 1
• Four of a kind (Quads) pays 20 to 1
• Straight flush, 50 to 1
• Royal flush, 100 to 1

The conditions that must be fulfilled for bets to be paid include:

• The dealer must qualify
• You must trounce the dealer’s hand

For example, if you are dealt with Aces full, and the dealer shows four of a kind, the hand is forfeited, and no payouts are extended. If your hand and the dealers happen to be the same, all the bets are a push and are returned to the player.

Except for the progressive jackpot, Caribbean stud differs from other poker variations due to the non-existence of the stand-alone bets that pay regardless of a win or loss.

The jackpot

The jackpots qualifying bet of any hand is a mere $1. It is never connected to your game’s stake. An estimate of 70% always goes to the jackpot pool, and the casino retains the rest of the state.

As worse as it sounds, the casino online has to seed some of the jackpot money kept when placing the bet once a winner emerges.

A jackpot win happens if you are allocated with a royal flush in any suit. If you are lucky, you get to win the entire jackpot and 10% of the jackpot a straight flush.

While smaller hands, like full houses, also win you some money, the amount is usually too small. Generally, fans play Caribbean poker for fun, not for the returns.

The strategy

This game has only one decision to make. You need to keenly study your cards to decide whether you want to go on with the game or give up.

The up-card in the dealer’s possession is the only extra information at your disposal. You do not need to memorize all the intricate numbers of the Caribbean poker to ace it. You only need two simple tips:

• Ensure that you only play with a hand that has any pair or better
• If a hand is weaker than the AK, fold it

With these guidelines, only the AK is left for discussion. Understanding this will somehow lower the house cut of a bet. If you are dealt with an Ace-King, organize your play as below:

• Check if the card in the dealer’s possession is between 2 and Q.
• Raise if you have a similar rank card.
• Raise if you are holding a jack or a queen if the dealer has an Ace-King.
• Is your 4th highest card higher than the card in the dealer’s possession? If so, and you have a Queen, raise.

With this simple guide, you will lose less than a house’s cut in every bet you place. The edge is relatively high at 5.2%. It will still be difficult to get near the breakeven point even when you apply this strategy when playing.

Final thoughts

If you are a poker fan, this game is entertaining, especially when you feel like lady luck is on your side. In addition to being straightforward, this game does not present a significant challenge.

If it remains your game of choice and you play frequently, the edge of the house may dent your pocket big time.

But then again, it is pretty entertaining when playing with the right crowd.