If you wish to be dealt into a hand of Caribbean Stud Poker you must first place a stake in the “ante” box. Once all players have placed their ante bets, they will each be dealt five cards, with five cards also going to the dealer. All cards are dealt face down, with the exception of the dealer’s final card which is turned face up. Any discussion or comparing of hands between participants is not permitted.
The player’s next step is to look at their hand and decide whether or not they would like to continue. If they decide to play on, a further bet is placed in the “raise” box. This second bet must be exactly double the initial ante stake. If however the player decides that the hand is not worth pursuing, they may simply fold at this point. In this instance they will lose the ante but no more and can wait for the next hand. When judging whether to continue, it is useful to know the ranking of hands. Being a five card game, standard poker rules apply. The rankings from lowest to highest are:
- High Card
- One Pair
- Two Pairs
- Three Of A Kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Full House
- Four Of A Kind
- Straight Flush
- Royal Flush
In the event that the player wishes to pit their hand against the dealer’s, play progresses as follows. With the player now having placed stakes in both the ante and raise boxes, the dealer will now reveal his other four cards. In order to play his hand against those held by the players still involved, the dealer must have at least A-K high. If the dealers hand is weaker than this he is said not to qualify, all ante stakes will then be paid out at even money. All raise bets will be deemed void and returned to the player. In the instance that the dealer does qualify, his hand is then compared with each player who has posted the raise bet. If the player holds the best hand he is paid out at even money on the ante bet. He will also win on the raise bet, the amount he is paid depends upon the quality of the poker hand he holds. The pay outs on the raise bet are as follows:
- One Pair or less - Even Money
- Two Pairs -2/1
- Three Of A Kind - 3/1
- Straight - 4/1
- Flush - 5/1
- Full House - 7/1
- Four Of A Kind -20/1
- Straight Flush - 50/1
- Royal Flush -100/1
The Progressive Jackpot Bet
One of the main attractions of Caribbean Stud poker is the inclusion of the progressive jackpot feature. This is an optional side bet for a set amount, usually $1 or £1. It is a straight wager on the quality of the player’s poker hand. Not all Casinos offer this bet, but most American, online and larger chains elsewhere do provide it. These jackpots are often linked across different sites within the same chain, due to the rarity of being dealt a Royal Flush the pots can grow to be very large indeed. This opportunity to win big for a small stake has always appealed to gamblers.
To take part in this bet the player must stake their chip in the designated slot or circle prior to any cards being dealt. This chip is then removed from the table and added to the jackpot with the casino retaining a small percentage. The current size of the jackpot is shown on a meter at the table. A player will win on this bet if he receives any of the qualifying hands. A player is eligible for a jackpot pay out regardless of whether the dealer qualifies, and also in the unlikely event that the dealer holds a stronger hand than the players qualifying jackpot hand. Pay outs can vary from region to region and across different websites but a standard payout structure is:
- Royal Flush - 100% of the Jackpot
- Straight Flush - 10% of the Jackpot
- Four Of A Kind - Usually pays 500/1
- Full House - Usually pays 100/1
- Flush - Usually pays 50/1