CARIBBEAN STUD POKER STRATEGY - Poker with a twist

Not to be confused with the American version by the same name, Caribbean Stud Poker has quickly become one of the fastest growing casino games in the world.

Why is this game so popular? Simple, it's easy to play, the odds are fair and the payouts can be very profitable. It also shares some of the same unique characteristics as its American cousin---Players aren't wagering against each other, as in regular poker, rather they're playing against the dealer. This helps to eliminate any unnecessary intimidation that often occurs in regular poker. Another great feature is the progressive jackpot to be won-making game play much more fun and exciting. Our St. Kitts Stud Poker game has a jackpot valued at over $40,000 (not bad for a $1 wager).

So what is the objective of the game. That's easy! To beat the dealer's poker hand with your own. To start the game, both you and the dealer are dealt five cards. You can look at all of your cards right away and the dealer has one card turned up (face card) for you to see. There are no draw cards in Caribbean Stud Poker so you play the entire game with the cards you are dealt with from the beginning. From these five cards, you win if your hand has a higher poker ranking than that of the dealer's (see the chart below for poker hand rankings). It is that easy!

There are three different wagers available to the player during a game of Caribbean Stud Poker.

1. The Side Bet: This wager is made prior to the cards being dealt. By making this $1 bet, the player is eligible to win one of the progressive jackpots should his/her hand be sufficient. A progressive jackpot winning hand is either a Royal Flush or a Straight Flush.

2. The Ante Bet: This wager is mandatory and must be made prior to starting each game. This wager cannot be less than the table minimum and is forfeited if the player loses the hand.

3. The Bet: If the player decides not to FOLD and to continue playing with their hand, after seeing the five cards he/she has been dealt, they must make a BET equal to double the value of their ante bet for that game.

Now you're probably wondering how do I win and what happens if I should lose? There are some general rules and nuances you must be aware of first, before you start playing. The object of the game is to beat the dealers hand with a better ranking poker hand, which we have already discussed. In order to make any real profit, you must first beat the dealer, as long as the dealer has a Candidate Hand or greater (see above). If the dealer doesn't have a Candidate Hand and you made a full bet, you'll only receive 1 to 1 on your ante. This is not much of a winning, but still positive in your bank roll. If the dealer does have a Candidate Hand and you made a full bet, you'll receive the appropriate payoff odds for your hand (see above). This is much more profitable. Be sure to fully read the rules and help files for each specific game you play. There might be specific intricacies of the game that you are unaware of.

So that's basically all you need to know on how to play Caribbean Stud Poker. Not a difficult game, but still a very challenging one. Here are some basic strategies and different hand plays you should use the next time you play.

Basic playing Strategies:

1. Never fold your small pairs. This is a common mistake made by most novice players. Almost half of the time you'll be dealt a small pair and in the long run it should be much more profitable to play these hands out to the end.

2. Don't bet with a weak hand. The odds are simply not in your favor to do so. If you're betting with a weak hand (i.e. a non-Candidate Hand) you're betting the dealer has less than a Candidate Hand as well. Winning this way only pays you on your ante bet, 1 to 1. Therefore if you lose, both your ante bet and your full bet are foregone. This can really add up in the long-run, and the disadvantage is much greater in the long-run. In my opinion you should always fold if you have less than an Ace-King.

3. Ace-king (Candidate Hand) should only be played when you have another card in your hand matching the dealers face card. Over half of the time the dealer will qualify, so you'll want to make extra sure you can beat him. By matching face cards you're eliminating another card from his hand and increasing your chance of winning.

There you have it. Caribbean Stud Poker in a nutshell. It seems pretty easy and it is as long as you play wisely and follow the basic rules laid out for you in this article. Remember to never fold on a small pair, never bluff a weak hand and always go for the progressive. It's only a buck and you wouldn't want to be left in the situation where you're saying "if only..."