Caribbean Stud Poker is a casino poker game which is played against the dealer. The players simply have to make a better poker hand than the dealer to win. Caribbean Poker is highly reliant upon luck, so there is very little strategy to ponder. In fact, the only strategy is deciding whether or not to raise.
Basic Caribbean Stud Poker Hand
- Players make their ante bets.
- The players and the dealer each receive five cards, with one of the dealer’s cards being dealt face up.
- Players examine their cards but may not give any indication of what their cards are, as that would be collusion.
- Players decide whether to raise or fold. A raise must be twice the size of the ante, and the players will lose their antes if they fold.
- The dealer shows his other four cards. The dealer’s hand must qualify to beat the players’ hands. Ace-King is the minimum hand required to qualify.
- If the dealer does not qualify, the players win their ante bets and take back their raises.
- If the dealer does qualify and there is a tie, it is considered a push.
- If the dealer qualifies and beats the player’s hand, the dealer wins, and if the player beats the dealer’s hand, they win even money on the ante bet and the raise is paid off according to the casino’s pay table. I have included a sample pay table below.
Caribbean Stud Poker Pay 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
- Other
- 1 to 1
Progressive Jackpot in Caribbean Stud Poker
The player can choose to make a progressive jackpot bet of $1 at the beginning of the hand. If a player ends up with a great hand, the player will receive a portion of the jackpot depending upon how strong their hand is. The jackpot will usually pay out 100% for a royal flush, 10% for a straight flush, and varying dollar amounts for four of a kind down to a straight. If a player does not have a great hand, the casino takes a portion of the bet while the rest goes into the jackpot.
Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy
The strategy for Caribbean Stud Poker is very simple. Raise with a pair or higher. Fold with less than Ace-King. If you have Ace-King, then raise if your remaining cards are high and fold if the remaining cards are low. You can also raise with Ace-King is the dealer’s up card matches one of your own cards, as this reduces the dealer’s chances of having a straight.
Where to Play Caribbean Stud Poker Online
Caribbean Stud Poker is offered at just about every online casino in the business. To learn about online casinos and to choose the one that is best for you. You can find out which Mac casinos have Caribbean Stud Poker by reading their reviews.











