Caribbean Stud Poker is a game where the player tries to have a better hand than the dealer. It is a 5 card poker that puts the player up against the dealer. No matter how big a casino you play in and how big a poker room they offer, the game always takes place between you and the dealer. That is where it is similar to Blackjack.
As the Best gambling Guide explains the game basically begins when the player places an ‘Ante’ bet which instantly allows him to receive a five-card hand, a face-up. The player also gets a five-card hand but then just one of the dealer’s cards in face-up and obviously the other four appear face down. Next he needs to guess looking at his hand whether it is better than the dealer or worse. If he thinks it is worse then he can fold by clicking on “Fold” button or the “Surrender” button. This way he looses the “Ante Bet”. Again if he chooses to challenge then the dealer’s four left cars will be turned to compare the results.
Here’s a little historical background to the game that the Best Gambling Guide brings you. Caribbean Stud Poker as the very name suggests evolved in the Caribbean Islands. It traveled at a rampant on the cruise ships around. In the initial years there was not much that this game had for the players. Neither did it offer the best of the advantages nor were the percentages every nice. Hence later on when it was introduced in America there was a progressive jackpot bonuses added to it to hype the game in the American Casinos. This was intended to add some charm and excitement to the game so that more and more people would be attracted to play it. But on the contrary the bonus was unable to appeal that much of players but the initial popularity did count along with the lingering demand till date. And believe it or not it’s equally popular at the online casinos as it is in the brick and mortar counterparts. Hence, no wonder the wide fan following throughout the world and all the glamorous and exciting title floating in the air.
The supposed precursor of Caribbean Stud Poker was a 16th century European three-card game called Primera in Spain and Primero in Great Britain. This introduced the act of betting and the valued hands were 3 of a kind, Pairs, and 3 of the same suit, Flux or later termed as Flush. By the mid of the18th century both bluffing and betting were integrated to shape the foundation of the game as it is in the contemporary age. You can probably guess the importance of bluffing when told that pochen, in German, means "to bluff."
The rather popular versions, at the time, were known as,
Brag
Great Britain
Pochen
Germany
Poque
France
Gaming scholars around the world believe that Caribbean Stud Poker came to North America in the 18th century when it was brought to Louisiana by French colonists. And hence in an obvious way the alteration of the French name for the game (Poque) to the English (Poker) is evident and significant.
Finally, Caribbean Stud Poker's zenith of fame, naturally, coincides with the creation of legal gambling in the casinos in the state of Nevada. This was a huge step ahead as till now gambling was rather held illegal. In 1910, gambling was declared a crime and to run a betting game was held an action directed against the state. It was held illegal because there was rather no single element of skill involved, it was a game of pure chance and then luck. The State of Nevada eventually resoluted, to reverse its policy and in 1931 casino gambling became legitimate once again and Caribbean Stud Poker returned as a admired match at most land-based casinos in the US.
Probabilities of the game
Here’s the extensive Caribbean Stud Poker Probabilities page presented to you by the Best Gambling Guide. In this page the site attempts to explain the numbers that you keep on hearing about. The particular focus is on the odds the players face while playing the game. Things are explained in the simplest kind of a way so that you face no problem understanding.
The first element of consideration is the chances of being dealt some of the hands explained below from a fresh deck. Here’s a table where you will find the hand, a number of possible ways of attaining it and the corresponding odds as well.
Hand
Number of ways of making the hand
Odds
Royal Flush
4
1 in 649,740
Straight Flush
36
1 in 72,193
Four of a Kind
624
1 in 4,165
Full House
3,744
1 in 694
Flush
5,108
1 in 509
Straight
10,200
1 in 254.80
Three of a Kind
54,912
1 in 47.32
Two Pairs
123,552
1 in 21.03
One Pair
1,098,240
1 in 2.36
No Pair Hand
1,302.540
1 in 1.99
Payouts for each winning hand:
Royal Flush
100 to 1
Straight Flush
50 to 1
Four of a Kind
20 to 1
Full House
7 to 1
Flush
5 to 1
Straight
4 to 1
Three of a Kind
3 to 1
Two Pairs
2 to 1
One Pair
1 to 1
Ace-King
1 to 1
Strategies
Here are some practical advices and tips for you to transform into a more successful player at Caribbean Stud Poker. One of the prime reasons of its towering popularity is the simplicity of the game. Have a look,
The most important decision you need to take while playing this game is whether to raise or fold your bet once the cards are dealt. Be careful while deciding as you will never want to loose the ante bet.
Do not ever forget that the odds are obviously in your favor if you are dealt a pair so it is better to raise.
In case of the non-paired hands fold it if it doesn’t have an A-K.
Never bluff, it is said to be avoided by the experts. You should rather fold on a nothing hand
Take a look at this chart to make an idea as to where you should raise,
Player’s Hand
Dealer’s Showing
Any Pair
Any Card
A-K-Q-J-x
Any Card
A-K-Q-x-x
*Must match one of player's cards
A-K-J-x-x
*Must match one of player's cards
A-K-10-x-x
*Must match one of player's cards
Rules
In order to be eligible for the challenge, the dealer's hand has to contain an ace and a king. If it doesn't, the face is nullified and the player receives a 1 to 1 payoff on the original ante bet.
If the dealer's hand does qualify the hands are compared and the player either wins or loses the challenge. In the event that both hands are equal, it's a push, and the player gets his money back.
Diverse combinations in the player's hands give off variant payoffs. A royal flush, for example, will pay much more than two pair.