Play Caribbean Stud Poker at Top Online Casinos
A Short Guide to the Best Real Money Caribbean Stud Casinos
Everyone knows how to play Hold'em, so the pickings in that game are lean. But Caribbean Stud? This is a whole new ball game with plenty of opportunity for savvy players to make some cash. How do you become savvy? Relax! We've got you covered with a detailed guide to the game.
Our Top Recommended Caribbean Stud Casinos
Be a Caribbean Stud Pro
There’s no denying that the online poker craze is here to stay. The WSOP Main Event sees well over 6,000 entries. Millions of people around the world play online poker. And it seems like there’s a major million-dollar tournament happening somewhere in the Caribbean every day. But you don’t need mad bluffing skills to win at poker, especially if you play against the dealer.
Real money Caribbean Stud Poker combines the excitement of your favorite communal poker game with the thrill of busting the house. And you don’t have to head to a live casino to play it. When you choose to play Caribbean Stud Poker online for real cash, you’ll be able to enjoy all these benefits:
- Play for as little as $1 per hand—that’s way less than the typical $10 a land-based casino demands
- Don’t worry about being bluffed out of a hand—it’s just you and the dealer, best hand wins
- You can fold if you don’t like your hand
Intrigued by real money Caribbean Stud Poker? There’s way more to enjoy, so read on for all the important details and then hop online and try and bust the house.
Quick Caribbean Stud Tips
Always fold anything less than Ace, King
If you have anything less, the dealer will definitely have a better hand, as this is the qualifying hand required. Wait till the next time.
Make sure you always play hands with a pair
This is a fairly secure way of knowing you have a hand with some clout, and you should certainly make sure you have a pair when you are raising.
Don’t be afraid to surrender - if your hand looks pretty beatable, walk away
That’s how to play smart. You’ll start to get a better feel for how your hand looks when you sit a game out and see what the competition does.
Find a healthy progressive jackpot
Hitting the jackpot isn’t an easy thing to do. If you want to avoid losses as much as possible, wait until the jackpot gets to six figures.
Getting to know the game
Who has the better hand? You with a King high and a 10 kicker? Or the other guy with a King high and a Jack kicker? If you said the other guy, you’re right—but only if you’re playing poker against other players.
But if you’re playing Caribbean Stud Poker for real money, you’re actually way ahead. That’s because in order for the dealer to have a valid hand, he needs at least an Ace/King. Anything less means you automatically win, even if you’re holding a worse hand.
That’s what makes real cash Caribbean Stud Poker so fun and rewarding. If you’re new to the game, it’s fairly easy to understand. Caribbean Stud Poker online uses the stud card ranking system. Need a quick refresher? This is how cards rank from lowest to highest:
- High Card
- One Pair
- Two Pairs
- Three of a Kind
- Straight
- Flush
- Full House
- Four of a Kind
- Straight Flush
- Royal Flush
Your goal is to have the better hand, but you’ll also have the chance to walk away if you don’t like what you see. Playing Caribbean Stud Poker for real money features two bets—an initial Ante bet and a Call bet. The Ante bet is mandatory, but the Call bet is only required if you’re confident in your hand. The Call bet is often called a Raise bet, but it varies from site to site.
Start by placing your Ante bet. When you’re ready, click the Deal button. The system will deal you out five cards, all face up. The dealer will receive five cards, but only one is exposed. The other four are face down.
Using the one known card as your guide, your job is to decide whether you think you have the better hand. Unlike video poker where you get to swap cards, you need to work with the cards you’re dealt. If you like your hand, you may call by clicking the Call button. An extra bet of double your Ante is placed in the Call area of the table. You essentially have triple your original bet on the table. So, if you had placed a $1 bet in the ante, you’d have $3 total (a $1 ante and a $2 call).
At this point, the dealer’s hand is revealed. If your hand is greater than the dealer’s, you’ll get paid out 1:1 on your ante bet and you’ll get paid out according to the pay schedule for your Call bet. The higher your hand, the more real money you’ll earn.
If the dealer does not have at least an Ace/King, you’ll automatically win. However, you’ll only get paid out for your ante.
Best Caribbean Stud Online
Caribbean Stud is a high stakes game, and regular gamblers like to know they are playing quality games at quality sites. This is why it's advisable to have a set of features or requirements you know you prefer to have in your online casino experience before you pick your site. Below are some features that expert gamers like to see, with explanations of how they will help your game:
Find a casino with the highest payout percentage around
The payout percentage is the ratio a casino will pay out in winnings on the amount of money wagered. Say a payout rate is 98%, that means the casino pays $98 in winnings for every $100 wagered. What's left makes up the casino's profit.
Remember that 98% will not be the rate you will get on any individual bet you make. This is because the figure is an average for the whole casino, worked out over several months and over thousands of players. It's always best to pick the casinos with the highest percentage as this will boost your chances of higher wins.
The Best Online Caribbean Stud Poker Sites
We’re big poker fans, so when we saw that a lot of online casinos were offering real money Caribbean Stud Poker, we got excited. But not every casino offers such a great experience.
A lot of Internet casinos are slots casinos first and foremost. That means that while their slot machine offerings are phenomenal, their table games are a bit lacking. If you’re a table game fan, you want to play somewhere that offers a realistic experience.
As huge table games fans, we’ve rated and reviewed virtually every online casino on the planet. We’ve put each site through the ringer, rating customer service, game selection, quality of software, graphics, speed, gameplay, deposit options, withdraw times, and more.
In order to rate each real money Caribbean Stud Poker website, we follow very strict criteria. We use a 25-step review process every single time. This helps us put together a rating that accurately reflects what players should expect.
Only gambling site that scored top marks have made our list, so when you choose to play with one of our picks, you know you’re choosing a place you can truly trust.
Caribbean Stud Strategy
What to hold and what to drop
A game with two bets might seem a little complex, especially when you’re facing off against a dealer’s hand where just one card is exposed. But if you want to increase your chances of winning real cash at Caribbean Stud Poker, you can follow basic strategy.
Never fold a pair and always fold anything less than AK is great advice to follow, especially if you’re a beginner Caribbean Stud Poker player.
Playing multiple betting types
Did you know you can reduce the house edge by up to 2.3% just by following a specific strategy when you’re holding Ace, King? Here’s what you should always keep in mind in these situations:
If the dealer is showing an Ace or a King and you’re holding A,K,Q or A,K,J, go ahead and call. There’s a good chance that even if the dealer is holding A,K, your hand will beat it. You should also consider calling if you’ve got A,K and the dealer is showing a 2 through a Queen, and assuming that you’re holding one of those cards, too. What’s more, if the dealer is showing 2 through 5 and you’ve got A,K,Q, or A,K,J, go ahead and call.
Caribbean Stud Rules
Payouts vary based on which casino website you’ve chosen to play at, but many sites follow the payout schedule below. Remember, these payouts are for your Call bet. Ante bets always get paid out at 1 to 1. Also, if you’ve hit a high hand, like a Royal Flush for example, and the dealer did not qualify, you won’t get paid out for your Call bet.
| Your Hand | Payout |
|---|---|
Royal Flush | 100 to 1 |
Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
4 of a Kind | 20 to 1 |
Full House | 7 to 1 |
Flush | 5 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
3 of a kind | 3 to 1 |
2 Pair | 2 to 1 |
Pair | 1 to 1 |
High Card | 1 to 1 |
Caribbean Stud History
While the game might be a fairly recent addition to the casino and gambling world, there are a lot of stories to tell about the development of Caribbean Stud. We offer you a brief guide here.
- Caribbean Stud Poker was introduced by casinos in an effort to lure more players to the tables - players who were more interested in poker rooms and home games over table games.
- The origins of the game are up for debate.
- Officially, James Suttle gets credit for creating the game. It’s said that he acquired the game rules from a fellow poker player in Vegas back in the ‘80s, and then sold the concept to Danny Jones, who owned a casino in Aruba.
- The rights to the game were eventually bought by a Nevada distribution company known as Mikhon Gaming.
- Other casino players claim they played Caribbean Stud Poker on a cruise ship in Aruba prior to Suttle’s invention of the game.
Caribbean Stud FAQ
Our team love Caribbean Stud, and know what to look out for in a good online casino. They also know what you want to see before you make your choice on a gaming site, so they've put together a list of FAQs to help get you gaming quicker.
What Is Caribbean Stud Poker?
It is a game that is played like a five card stud poker game, but on a table that resembles a blackjack table. The game makes use of a standard 52 card deck and the players have to beat the dealer, not the other players. In order to win, the dealer must first qualify, so players can win even with low ranking hands if the dealer doesn't have a qualifying opening hand.
What Are The Card Rankings In Caribbean Stud Poker?
Just like in standard five card stud, the hands are (from lowest to highest) one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush. If your hand has a kicker, it will be used to determine the winner in the event of a tie.
What is An Ante?
Your ante is your initial bet. You pay your ante to be dealt into the hand. If you fold, you lose your ante.
What is a Bet?
After the ante, if you don't fold and you choose to play you can bet. This consists of wagering another sum equal to your ante, but this time around you have the benefit of seeing your cards.
When Should I Fold When Playing Caribbean Stud Poker?
Because the dealer has to qualify with a specified type of hand to win, you should never fold unless you have less than one pair. If you fold you lose your initial bet anyway, and there is a good chance that a low hand can still win. It's fairly common for the dealer hand to fail to qualify, so unless you're staring down the barrel of something like a 6-high hand, stick around and hope for the best.
Can I Play Caribbean Stud Poker Without Money?
There are many online casinos that offer free versions of this game. The free games give you the chance to get used to the game, the software and develop your own strategy. You can also get a feel for the casino in general and if you like the way it is set up. Once you have prepared yourself with the free games, and you're feeling confident, you can easily transfer into the paying versions of the games to win real money that you can withdraw and spend as you like.
What Is The Casino Advantage Playing Online Caribbean Stud Poker?
The house has a slight edge with around a 5% slant in their favor. This places Caribbean Stud Poker at the same odds for winning as roulette as well as other casino games of chance.
Are Online Caribbean Stud Poker Games Fair?
Yes, if you pick a regulated, reputable online casino. That can be difficult for beginners, which is why choosing one of our offered casinos is a good idea. We've made sure that each casino on our list is fair, has a good reputation, is licensed to operate by a government agency in its respective country, and pays out in a fair percentage based on the games in question.
What Do I Need To Play Online Caribbean Stud Poker?
All you need to play is an internet device such as a PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or tablet and an internet connection. Once you choose the casino to play at, you will have to download their software, but luckily this is freely available and can be downloaded in minutes. The exception to this is for Mac, iPhone and iPad players who can't use downloaded software. Those players must select the online casinos that offer an alternative to this downloadable software through a web-based platform that lets you play in your internet browser.
Where Can I Find A Reputable Caribbean Stud Poker Online Casino?
There are thousands of online Caribbean Stud Poker games online, and more seem to appear every single year. That is why you should look at our site to find the very best options on the web today. We use strict criteria to determine which online Caribbean Stud Poker games to offer by limiting our choices to only those that have the best graphics, highest payouts, strongest security, and best software. Instead of using a trial and error method to select your online casino, keep yourself safe and just check out the ones we suggest here. When you find the right choice for you, sign up for free to get started playing and having fun right away.
Caribbean Stud Glossary
The lowest qualified hand. You should never raise with a hand lower than this. Ever.
The bet that all players must place at the start of the game. You cannot receive any cards before placing your ante wager.
The location marked on the Caribbean Stud Poker table in front of each player. This is used for placing all wagers.
A slang term for raising; in reference to “calling a bluff” in traditional poker games, in spite of the fact that, obviously, the dealer isn't going to be bluffing.
The casino employee that operates the Caribbean Stud games. Responsible for paying and collecting bets as well as dealing cards and determining the winners and losers of each round.
The slot on the table where players can place their side bets for the progressive jackpot.
A hand where all five cards are of the same suit. This is the absolute minimum hand value needed to receive a payout from a side bet.
A slang term for a very low value hand, typically less than is necessary for qualifying (AK). The name implies that it should be “thrown away” or folded because it will only win if the dealer's hand does not qualify.
A slang term for the casino.
The statistical advantage that the house has in its games. In Caribbean Stud Poker, the house edge is slightly over 5%, which is considered normal in casinos.
The decision to forfeit a hand after seeing ones cards. Allows players to cut their losses after making an ante wager but without raising and putting even more money at risk.
The diagram that shows how much any given winning hand is worth.
A jackpot that is largely separate from the game. To be eligible, you must make a side bet and then ultimately raise your hand. The value of your hand will determine if you have won (must have a flush or better). A portion of each of these side bets goes towards making the progressive jackpot larger as time goes on, while winning side bets reduce the size of the jackpot.
A digital display that shows the real time value of the progressive jackpot.
The technical term for a tie in Caribbean Stud Poker as well as other casino/poker games. Results in a return of the players wager and neither the house nor the player win or lose anything.
A qualified hand is any hand held by the dealer that is at least an Ace-King hand. A qualified hand is required for the game to run its full course, while a non-qualified hand leads to even money payouts on the antes of all remaining players.
The bets that are made after a player has received his or her cards. These must be exactly twice the value of the player's ante.
The top ranked hand in Caribbean Stud Poker, as well as most other traditional poker games. Formed by getting an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, all in the same suit. This hand is the key to winning the entire progressive jackpot, assuming that you have made a side bet, and it is extremely unlikely to appear in any given hand.
The kind of wager made on the progressive jackpot. Typically worth $1.
The second best hand in the game. Formed by getting a straight where all of the cards are of the same suit. If this includes A,K,Q,J,10 (the highest five consecutive cards possible) then it is actually a royal flush – a stronger hand.
