Caribbean Stud Poker rules are based on the Stud Poker game played with five cards. An interesting feature of the game is that it typically comes with a progressive jackpot that can be won by the player with the hand ranked the highest. Caribbean Stud Poker is a type of casino banking game, where a player’s hand is compared against that of the dealer, not his opponents.
Placing the Ante
To start a game, players have to place an opening wager, also known as ante. This is a compulsory bet. Once the first betting round is completed, they will have the option to choose between placing an additional bet or not. The extra bet will make them eligible to win the progressive jackpot in case they land the highest possible hand.
Depending on the number of players who get the best hand, you can win a share of, or the entire progressive jackpot. The winning criteria will be set by the poker room at which you play. Some of the hand combinations that payout the jackpot are Full House, Straight Flush, Flush, Four of a Kind and Royal Flush.
Dealing of Cards and Player Decisions
Once the ante has been placed, the dealer will deal five cards with their face down, to each player. He will also deal a hand of five cards for himself. But, the last card will be placed face-up before him. Once players have checked their hands and assessed their value, they will have to take one of two actions:
-       Make a wager on the area marked ‘play’. The wager will be the same amount as the ante. This will give the player the chance to continue in the game.
-       Fold the hand and leave the round. It should be done only if you are sure that your hand is weak and not likely to beat the dealer’s. If you fold, you will forfeit the ante you place at the beginning of the game.
After all the players have acted, the dealer will check his hand. To challenge a player’s hand, the dealer should have an Ace-King or higher. If not, the dealer will have to fold his hand and only the antes will get paid out. All players will get paid at a 1:1 ratio, irrespective of the strength of their hand rankings.
In case the dealer’s hand has an Ace-King or higher, it will qualify for a comparison against players’. At this stage, the players will have to reveal their hands and evaluate them against the dealer’s. In case the dealer’s is better than a player’s, the latter will lose his ante and play bets. However, if the player’s hand value is higher than that of the dealer’s, the former will get paid for both the ante and play bets. The ante pay-out is generally fixed 1:1. It is not affected by the ranking of either the player’s or banker’s hands. The player gets paid for his play bet according to the hand-ranking.
Some of the top hands are - a pair, 2 pairs, 3 of a kind and straight. They typically pay-out at 1:1, 2:1. 3:1 and 4:1. The highest hands, Royal Flush, Straight Flush and Four-of-a-Kind pay 100:1, 50:1 and 20:1 respectively.
