Caribbean Stud Poker Online

Caribbean Stud Poker online is one of the simpler online gambling games out there and as such is one of the better games to start off with, either as way into table games, or to online Poker rooms where you’re playing against real people!

We say this not to be facetious – the online Caribbean Stud Poker game has more in common with Video Poker, in that you play against the house (ie. the casino) and not other players.

Another similarity is that there are no ‘draw’ cards, in other words the cards you’re dealt are the ones you have to play with, and you can’t exchange any, or use community cards as with Texas Hold ‘em.

How do you play Caribbean Stud poker?

The basic Caribbean stud poker rules are as follows:

You have to put in an ‘ante’ bet, which you can sometimes vary depending on the version, other times it is pre-set.

Another optional extra which is distinctive to Caribbean Stud is an additional Jackpot bet which we’ll explain more about below.

You will then be dealt 5 cards, as will the dealer (the house).

You can instantly see all 5 of your cards, and the last of the dealer’s cards is revealed to you as well.

It’s your choice now whether you want to play on or fold. Obviously you only do the latter if you have weak cards and you feel it’s likely that the dealer will beat you.

Naturally if your best card is a high card of 9 and the dealer’s upcard is a 10 or more you already know you’ve lost so there’d be no point continuing.

If you fold, you forfeit your ante.

If you continue you have to raise, which in the normal rules of Caribbean stud poker.

After that the dealer’s cards are revealed.

There is one more step to consider – the dealer has to ‘qualify’, meaning they must have a pair, 2 high cards, or higher.

If the dealer does not qualify then you get evens on your ante, and the raise bet pushes back to you.

So if the ante was 10, the raise would thus be another 10, and if the dealer fails to qualify, you will receive 30 back (your ante x2 plus your raise).

If the dealer qualifies and beats you, obviously you lose both ante and raise bets (so 20 in the above example).

Where it starts getting interesting is if you win, because the payout will depend on what you got, and you will have to consult the paytable to know in advance, but typical values would range from evens for winning with a high card or a pair, up to 100:1 or more for a Royal Flush (the ranking system used is the same one for the vast majority of games in the Poker family, as the Caribbean stud poker odds for any hand are the same as other types).

You don’t receive back the stake you put into the progressive jackpot, naturally, but can only clinch this by getting the highest combinations (like Royal Flush and Straight Flush) and there will be some other parameters to meet before you can claim what can amount to a huge payout (always check with the casino as to the precise details).

That’s about all you need to know vis a vis how to play Caribbean stud poker; we’ll outline briefly a few strategies which you can use when you play Caribbean Stud Poker Online.

A few Caribbean Stud poker tactics

Also consider your options if you have a ‘blocker’ card, meaning a card that is the same value as the dealer’s upcard, when playing online Caribbean Stud Poker.

If this happens, and you have an Ace, King, Queen or Jack AS WELL as the blocker card OR if the blocker card ITSELF is an Ace (ie. the dealer has an Ace as upcard and you have A,K,Q or J you should also raise).

The best Caribbean Stud Poker strategy we can suggest is that you always raise if you have a pair or higher, and always fold if you have a hand that’s worse than the dealer’s qualification threshold (ie High Cards).

We do not guarantee a win following these tips of course, but the statistics show they maximize your chances if you do, and reduce the effects of the house edge (casino’s advantage) somewhat.

That’s about all – it’s worthwhile also trying out free Caribbean Stud Poker Online before you commit to anything, as a way of ‘try before you buy’; most casinos will have a facility to do this.

And if your appetite is well and truly whetted you can go for live dealer Caribbean Stud Poker, which is where, instead of playing against a faceless, anonymous computer program, you are linked up via live video software with a real dealer dealing the cards for you!

Live Caribbean Stud Poker is a more atmospheric way to play, without having to leave the comfort of home or if there is no casino anywhere near you!