Caribbean Stud is a casino card
game, which features a negative EV of about 5.3% on the ante
bets players need to place in order to participate in the game.
As such, Caribbean Stud cannot be beaten in the long run, but
the variance can still yield nice short-term winnings for the
players.
While Caribbean Stud has some common elements with the
well-known 7-Card Stud variant, it doesn’t involve bluffing and
can therefore not be cataloged as a game of skill.
In
Caribbean Poker , players will play against the house and not
against each other. To begin, everyone needs to place an ante
bet. That gives the player the right to be dealt in. After all
antes were placed, the dealer announces “no more bets”. Anyone
who’s looking to place a bet after that will have to wait for
the next round to play. There’s a special ante box on the table,
and the chips need to be in it when the dealer makes the call.
Screenshot of a Caribbean Stud
Poker Table
The dealer then deals everyone 5
cards face down. Players cannot take a look at these cards,
they’ll have to wait till the dealer turns one of his 5 cards
face-up and pushes their face down cards towards them. Players
can then take a look at their hand, but they are not allowed to
look at the hands of their neighbors, neither to discuss their
hands with other players.
If one player breaches this rule and communicates with fellow
players, all the wagers will be forfeited and the hand will be
declared a dead one.
After they take a look at their hands, players have to make the
decision to play or to fold. If he decides to fold, the player
loses his original ante. If he decides to play, he needs to
place a bet equaling two times the ante into the bet-box on the
table.
The dealer then reveals his hand, he will only play Ace/King or
higher, if he does not qualify, all bets shall be considered
void, and players receive even money on their antes, but not on
their bets.
If a player is dealt an incorrect number of cards, his hand
shall be considered dead, but the round will continue without
him.
Players need to keep all their cards in full view of the dealer
at all times. After their hands were examined by the dealer,
they will no longer be allowed to touch their cards.
No hole cards can be revealed before the dealer declares “no
more bets”. If someone happens to turn a hole-card over, all
hands shall be considered dead.
If the player manages to show a hand which is better than that
of the dealer, he wins. He gets even money on his ante, and his
bet will be matched according to how good a poker hand it is.
A pair pays him even money, two pairs give him 2-1, a set gives
him 3-1 and so on. A Royal Flush awards the player a 100-1
payout.
If – at showdown, the dealer wins, he will collect both the ante
and the player’s bet.
Progressive payouts are also possible at the Caribbean Stud
tables. Players need to make certain that they do indeed insert
their $1 progressive wager into the assigned slot and that the
indicator light is on.
Upon hitting a straight flush, the player will usually get 10%
of the progressive jackpot. If he hits a Royal Flush, the entire
jackpot is his.
Caribbean Stud does have an optimal strategy which reduces the
house edge to 5.2% (check it out on any
pokerforum
), but it is extremely cumbersome, and there’s not really any
practical value in it. Playing close to optimal house edge can
be achieved by raising hands containing many high cards.
Make sure you participate in the casino’s comp point or
rakeback
program to further diminish the house edge on your Caribbean
Stud game.
|