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Never tried playing Caribbean Stud Poker online before? The Xgtiger Casino quick and easy rules guide will have you up and running in no time.
As you work your way through the different poker variants, you’ll notice that, with the exception of Texas Hold’em, most game types are easy to learn. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to separate one set of rules from another, as in the case of 3 Card Poker and 3 Card Brag.
This is a good thing for most players, as it means you can still find something to play even if your preferred variant isn’t available.
Caribbean Stud Poker also belongs to this camp, as a modified version of 5 Card Stud. What is stud poker? In most poker variants, the cards you are dealt are dealt face up, except for a shared set of Community cards, which are dealt face up. However, when playing stud games, cards are dealt in a mix of face up and face down positions. We’ll cover all of this later in this guide.
For now, all you need to know is that Caribbean Stud Poker is basically an online version of poker played in a player versus croupier format.
Impatient players rejoice, it is possible to learn Caribbean Stud Poker in just a few minutes. The game doesn’t have many of the complexities associated with more complex versions of poker like Texas Hold’em, such as bluffing, reams of jargon, and a long round of play that can take hours.
Game Rules for Caribbean Poker
You can never play against other players in Caribbean Stud Poker. Although, in offline games, other people can join you at the table to play separately against the dealer. The lack of player versus player action – or PVP for video gamers – means that purists do not consider Caribbean Stud Poker to be a ‘real’ game of poker.
All players at the Caribbean Stud Poker table go through the same process when playing. Note that, unlike Hold’em poker styles, there are no Community cards at all. The cards you’re dealt at the start are your only hope of beating the dealer.
Here’s our six-step guide to playing a Caribbean Stud Poker hand:
An entry or Ante bet is placed.
The player(s) and dealer are dealt five cards face up.
The dealer must then present their last-dealt card.
All player cards on the table are face up.
Players must choose to Raise/Call (bet) or Fold (fold).
The dealer reveals the rest of their hand.
We will discuss betting in a dedicated section, below.
If you’ve played any version of poker before, you’ll notice that Caribbean Stud is a very condensed version of the entire game. You can still use terminology like Streets, which describes each separate phase of the gameplay, but the named streets from Texas Hold’em, for example, are not relevant to the game. So, no Flop, River, or Turn.
Fast and Open Casino Poker
This isn’t essential to game play, but it does reflect the overall goal of Caribbean Stud Poker, above all else, to make things go faster. It is also a very ‘open’ type of poker, as all cards are visible almost from the moment they are dealt. In Hold’em games, this will make gameplay impossible. In fact, showing your cards to other people is a great way to remove yourself from a real casino.
Hold’em games have three betting rounds, while Caribbean Stud has only one round, excluding the initial Ante bet. It helps if you place a Bet (2x the Ante) or Fold after the Caribbean Poker deal. This eliminates one of the more strategic elements of poker – checking. Checking is between betting and folding, meaning you do nothing but don’t give up.
The concept of Qualification is also important in Caribbean Stud games. If the croupier cannot produce a hand with at least an ace and a king, they are disqualified and, therefore, cannot continue the game. This rule does not apply to players, who must decide whether to bet or not.
There is almost no thinking required in Caribbean Stud Poker, other than knowing when to Raise or Fold. The luck of the deal determines your chances of winning and losing. Just like all other casino games, you will also have a permanent disadvantage when playing, courtesy of the house edge. Unfortunately, the house edge in Caribbean Poker is among the highest of all poker variants, at over 5%. In comparison, 3 Card Poker has a house edge of around 3.37%.
Types of Bets
In a typical game, you will make a total of two bets. That is, the Ante bet and the Raise bet. It is possible to win both bets or just one. You may also come across a so-called side bet, which is usually a prediction if something, in particular, will happen during the game, such as a certain hand that will come up. These can be standard, casino-specific, or completely absent.
There really isn’t much more to say about betting on Caribbean Poker, so let’s introduce one of the more common side bets – the 5+1 Bonus. Placed at Ante, the 5+1 Bonus bet pays (or doesn’t) depending on the strength of the five card hand you can make from your own five cards plus the first dealer card turned over. Inevitably, you can win the 5+1 Bonus bet even if you lose the overall game – but you must have a Three of a Kind or stronger.
A quick tip here: the Raise bet can also be known as the Play or Call bet.
Stud Poker Card Values and Hand Rankings
As in Hold’em poker, the strength of the cards when it comes to building a hand is determined by their suit, number, and what, if any, sequence you can make. From strongest to weakest, the cards in Caribbean Stud Poker are A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. Here are all possible hands, again, from strongest to weakest.
- Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10, same suit.
- Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence, same suit.
- Four of a Kind: Four cards, same rank, any case.
- Full House: Three cards, same suit + two cards, same suit.
- Flush: any five cards, same suit.
- Straight: Five cards in sequence, any suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards, same rank, any suit.
- Two Pairs: Two cards, same rank, any suit + two cards, same rank, any suit.
- A Pair: Two cards, same rank, any suit.
- High card: Any other, determined by the card with the highest value, e.g. 9-high (ace-high).
Payouts and Losses
Caribbean Stud Poker is a fixed-odds game, so almost everything can be measured. This puts it in the same category as blackjack and roulette as far as odds and payouts are concerned. Let’s start by outlining all the possible outcomes in Caribbean Poker so that nothing unexpected happens. Again, these may be familiar to veterans of other poker games.
Dealer Qualified?, Dealer’s Hand, Player’s Hand, Result
No, N/A, N/A, Ante bet pays, Raise bet is returned
Yes, Lose, Win, Ante bet pays, Raise bet pays
Yes, Tie, Tie, All bets are back
Yes, Win, Lose, All bets are lost
A quick tip, here. You may come across the word Push when playing many different casino games. This is a drawn game. All players’ bets are usually returned in the event of a Push. Some poker variants, like pai gow, make a distinction between Tie and Push, where the dealer can actually win. It is not designed to trick you. Gameplay quirks are usually available to read at the poker table itself.
Now, on payments –
Bet, Name, Payout, Profit
Above, Royal Flush, 100:1, 1/649,351
, Straight Flush, 20:1, 1/72,202
, Four of a Kind, 10:1, 1/4,167
, Full House, 3:1, 1/694
, Flush, 2:1, 1/526
, Straight, 4:1, 1/246
, Three of a Kind, 3:1, 1/47
, Two Pairs, 2:1, 1/21
, A Pair, 1:1, 1/2
5+1 Bonus, Royal Flush, 1,000 to 1, 1/649,351
, Straight Flush, 200 to 1, 1/72,202
, Four of a Kind, 100 to 1, 1/4,167
, Full House, 20 to 1, 1/694
, Flush, 15 to 1, 1/526
, Straight, 10 to 1, 1/246
, Three of a Kind, 7 to 1, 1/47
Side betting is sometimes associated with progressive jackpots in Caribbean Stud poker, where the strongest hand qualifies to win a portion (usually around 10%) of a community prize pool. However, pay tables and the number of chances to win may vary between individual casinos and poker software.
In summary
Caribbean Stud Poker may lack the intensity of ‘big’ poker variants such as Texas Hold’em, but its accessibility means it is less popular than slots or blackjack. In general, Caribbean Poker operates on an either/or basis with other poker variants, which means that you may not see two identical games in the same place at the same time. However, their shared ruleset means that their mutual exclusivity is not important.
For those new to the world of online poker, any of the variants we’ve mentioned in this guide (with the exception of Texas Hold’em) make for a perfect jumping-off point for the hobby. Be sure to read up on some important topics, such as bankroll management, before joining any high-stakes games, however – and, as always, play responsibly.
Conclusion
Are you an avid gaming fan and want to know how to bet on online casino games? At Xgtiger, you’ll get the latest information on this year’s best casino games and a variety of gaming options, all in one place.
To start your online gambling journey, all you need to do is create an account on the site, deposit funds and you’ll be ready to bet on the best and most anticipated casino games.
Frequently asked questions
You can win at Caribbean Stud Poker in two ways: if the dealer fails to qualify (by making a hand of Ace-King or better), or by beating the dealer’s qualifying hand with a better five-card poker hand.
