Caribbean Stud History

Usually, it is difficult to determine the history of thousand year’s old card games originated in China. In the case of Caribbean Stud historians don’t have such problems. This game was first played in Caribbean and on a cruise in the Caribbean, passengers of which brought it to America. It is one of the hardest games to win because of odds which do not favor players much and are in the favor of house. However the rules are very easy to learn. Because of the growing popularity of the game among US players, it was introduced to the land casinos. The progressive jackpot and fantastic bonuses were added to the game to make it more attractive for players. At the beginning there were different hands like 3 of a kind and a pair known as Flux. The name was later changed into flush and remains the same until today. In 18th century some players introduced Bluff in order to make the game more interesting. Notice that Caribbean Stud is still one of the most difficult games for players. In 18th century when the game was brought to United States by French people a lot of terms were changed to English to make the game understandable for Americans. Nowadays, players are able to play Caribbean Stud online.

Caribbean Stud Rules

Caribbean Stud Poker is a card game played with one deck. To start, the player must place an ante bet. Players also have the option to participate in the progressive jackpot. In order to do so they have to place a chip in the slot, which activates the progressive jackpot light for the specific seat and the current hand of play. This has to be done before the dealer makes the „No more bets” announcement. The player and the dealer will receive five cards. All of the players' cards are face down but the last card in the dealer hand is face up. Upon seeing the face up card, the player can look at his own cards and has to make the decision to fold or stay in the game. After deciding to stay in the game the player must place his raise, which is an additional wager that equals double the ante. The rest of the dealer hand will be revealed after all players make their decisions. If the dealer's hand contains a king and an ace or forms a pair or any higher poker hand he qualifies (plays). Then the dealer compares his hand with the hands of players, starting from his right. If the dealer's hand qualifies then players whose hands beat the dealer win both the ante and the raise bets. If the dealer's hand doesn't qualify only the ante bet get paid, while the raise bet return to their players unpaid. Some of the most important rules in Caribbean Stud include:

- players play only one hand;

- players that want to play the Progressive Jackpot have to make sure to insert their $1 wager into the slot;

- no communication regarding hands is allowed between players and the dealer;

- incorrect amount of cards handed out to the player results in a dead hand or push only for that specific player;

- the dealer can deal an additional card to complete his hand if he is dealt four cards, but any other misdeals to the dealer result in all hands becoming void and reshuffling;

- the five cards belonging to the players need to be in dealer's view full time. After examining his/her cards and placing them face down, players are not allowed to touch their cards again;

- exposure of a hole card before the dealer announces „No more bets” results in all hands becoming void.

If your hands beats the dealer's qualified hand you win 1 to 1 on the ante plus the following on your bet (these are the usual rates, but they may vary):

Hands

From the highest ranked to the lowest:

Royal Flush

Top five cards of the same suit:



Straight Flush

Five cards of the same suit in a sequence (Aces can play low in straight and straight flush), e.g.:


Four of a Kind

A hand that contains all four cards of one rank and any other card, e.g.:


Full House

A hand consisting of three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank, e.g.:


Flush

A hand that contains five cards of the same suit that are not in sequence, e.g.:


Straight

A hand consisting of five cards in a sequence with at least two different suits, e.g.:


Three of a Kind

A hand that contains three cards of the same rank and two of a different rank (also not the same as each other), e.g.:


Two pair

A hands consisting of two cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank (matching each other, but different from the first pair) and one card of either rank, e.g.:


One pair

A hand that contains tow cards of the same rank and three cards which are not of this rank and not the same as each other, e.g.:


High card

Also called no-pair hand, it is a hand that does not meet any of the above requirements. The only meaningful card in the hand is the highest card since the hand can still win in a showdown with another no-pair hand. Example of a no-pair hand:


Caribbean Stud Glossary

Ace-King - the lowest hand that will win the game.

Ante - a bet which has to be placed before any hands are dealt.

Fold - instead of staying in the game players can close the hand, and discard it on the table top. This is done when it is the players’ turn to bet.

Hierarchy of Hands - a hand has a certain rank that starts from high to low. This is the rank system which player must go by to determine the winner. The Royal flush is the high hand in this scheme.

Payout Table –the amount possible to win if the player has the better hand.

Progressive Jackpot - a separate bet in which player wins more based on the hands being played.

Progressive Jackpot Box – this is the box in progressive jackpot where the player will place the bet he wants to wager.

Push – In any game that the player has a tie, it is usually referred to as a push. The player gets the ante bet back, without winnings.