Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy & Tips

Caribbean Stud Poker is a casino game you can play at virtual and live tables on the web. One of the providers offering the live casino game version is Evolution Gaming. It comes equipped with a progressive jackpot, which makes this Poker game stand out from the crowd. Some say the game originates from the Caribbean island Aruba, while gambling expert David Sklansky claims that he invented it. Instead of trying to reveal the obscure history of the game, we want to help you learn how to beat it and win.

Caribbean Stud Poker Basics

Your main goal at Caribbean Stud Poker is to create a hand better than one of the dealer. Place an Ante bet to start playing the game. If you want to play for a chance to win a progressive jackpot, you can place an optional Progressive bet too. The dealer then deals 5 cards to you and themselves. One of the dealer’s cards is dealt face-up, so you can make your next decision based on it and the cards you have received.

There are two options you can choose from – fold and call/raise. If you believe that your hand cannot beat the dealer’s, go for fold. By doing so, you quit the game and lose all your bets. On the other hand, if you choose call/raise, you place an additional bet, thus doubling your Ante stake. The dealer then reveals their hand and qualifies with an AK-high hand. When they cannot qualify, the player wins a 1:1 payout on the Ante bet. They also get their progressive bet back without a prize.  

Hand Ranks and Payouts

If you have played any of Poker variants, you will be familiar with hand rankings in Caribbean Stud Poker. The most lucrative combination is a royal flush with an A, K, Q, J and a 10 of the same suit. Here are payouts you can win with the following hands:

Hands are compared only when the player raises their bet, and the dealer qualifies. Beating the dealer with a better hand wins you even money on the Ante bet while the upper table shows payouts you receive on the additional bet. When both the player and the dealer have a hand of the same rank, all wagers are returned to the player. As for a progressive bet, it can earn you a jackpot or a share of it with a royal flush, straight flush, flush, full house or a four-of-a-kind hand. You can win on a progressive bet even when the dealer wins with a better hand.

Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy

Caribbean Stud Poker has a higher house edge than other Poker variants. A minimum house edge you can expect when playing by the proper strategy is 5.22%. Playing a progressive bet increases the house edge, which is self-explanatory and indicates that you should avoid it. On the other hand, whether you should fold or call depends on the cards that have been dealt to you and the face-up card of the dealer.  

One of the scenarios in which you should increase your wager is when you have a pair or better. It also applies to the situation in which you have an AK-high hand, and one of your cards matches the face-up card of the dealer. If you have an AKQ or AKJ-high hand and one of your cards is the same as the dealer’s face-up card, you should raise your bet. Also, when you have an AKQ-high hand, and one of the two other cards is higher than the dealer’s face-up card, you should call. Quit the game in all other situations by folding.

A Few More Tips

Caribbean Stud Poker is a game of skill, meaning that you can affect the outcome of each round by making right moves. That’s why it is important to know the game’s rules and the optimal strategy before you join the table. It particularly applies to live dealer tables where you can play Caribbean Stud Poker with real money only.

The rule of thumb would be to play the game in free play mode until you learn the ropes. Hone your skills by practising the optimal strategy at lower stakes, and once you feel you are confident enough, you can raise your bets. Although the notion of winning a progressive jackpot may seem tempting, try to avoid playing this side bet as it increases the house edge. If you cannot resist the temptation, make sure not to play it regularly.

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