The rules of Caribbean Stud Poker are easy to grasp for those who have experience in other forms of poker. Poker hand rankings remain the exact same in Caribbean Stud Poker, starting with the lowest ranking -a high card hand- and going all the way up to highest ranked hand- a royal flush. Follow the easy to read Caribbean Stud Poker rules below and you will have learned how to play the game in three minutes.
1) To begin with, a player must first place an ante bet before the cards are dealt. This bet is mandatory in order to be dealt into a hand. Players can also place a $1 progressive jackpot wager. By placing this bet they have the opportunity to win 100% of the huge progressive jackpot prize should they be dealt a royal flush or 10% of the jackpot for being dealt a straight flush. There are also instant payouts for four of a kind, a full house and a flush.
2) Each player at the table is then dealt 5 cards face up. The dealer also receives 5 cards. After receiving his 5 cards, the dealer then turns one of his cards face up. This exposed card is a crucial part of optimal Caribbean Stud Poker strategy which bases some decisions on what card the dealer is showing.
Rules of Caribbean Stud Poker Learning the rules of Caribbean Stud Poker begins with players placing ante bets. All the players and the dealer receive five cards facedown. Players can also choose to place an optional $1 progressive side bet. Caribbean Stud Poker Rules and How to Play Procedure Before any cards are dealt, you place a bet in the 'ante' box in your table layout. This ante bet can be any amount within the posted table limits. With each hand you may also play for the optional progressive jackpot.
3) After seeing the dealers face-up card, players can elect to raise or to fold. To raise, the player must place a bet of twice the ante into the “bet box”. By folding, a player loses his ante bet.
4) After all the bets have been made, the dealer reveals each of his four unknown cards. In order to play the hand, the dealer must first qualify. In order for the dealers hand to qualify, it must consist of an ace and a king or better. This means the worst hand the dealer will play is ace, king, two, three, four. If the dealer has a worse hand than this, he pays even money on the ante bet and the raise bet is voided and returned to the player.
If the dealer has a qualifying hand it is compared to the players hand. Whoever has the highest ranked poker hand wins. Payouts are usually made according to the following table:
| Poker Hand Rank | Payout Odds |
|---|---|
| One pair or Ace or King High | 1 to 1 |
| Two Pair | 2 to 1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Full House | 7 to 1 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
| Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
Unlike other table games such as blackjack, players are only allowed to play one hand per deal and cannot play multiple boxes at the table. Obviously this is not a disadvantage online, as you can play hundreds of hands an hour anyway. Check out the Poker Hand Rankings if you wish to learn poker from the start. Make sure to read up on Caribbean Stud poker bonuses before you decide on which casino you want to play at. This will enable you to have a greater chance of winning and entitle you to free casino cash.