Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker, a favourite game at hundreds of online casinos, is basically five-card draw poker. However, unlike regular 5-card poker in which you compete against your other opponents, in Caribbean Stud Poker you compete against the dealer only, just like Blackjack.

And even though online casinos offer public Caribbean Stud Poker rooms, it still remains only you against the dealer. Ultimately the goal in a game of Caribbean Stud Poker is to produce a stronger hand than the dealer's.

How Caribbean Stud Poker is played

Each game of Caribbean Stud Poker commences with players placing their ante bets. Players are then each dealt five cards face up. The dealer is also dealt five cards, though four of them are dealt face down and only one face up. It is then up to the player to decide whether to challenge the dealer's hand or fold. Should the player choose to fold their hand, he or she simply clicks the ‘Fold' or ‘Surrender' button on their screen. Upon folding, however, the player forfeits their ante bet.

If a player believes their hand will beat the dealer's, they can click the ‘Challenge' button. Doing so automatically doubles the player's ante bet. The dealer's four remaining cards are then turned face up, and the hands are compared to see whose is stronger.

In order, however, for the dealer to qualify for the challenge, his or her hand must include an ace and a king. If the dealer's hand does not contain an ace and a king, the hand is deemed void and the player is awarded a one-to-one payoff on the initial ante bet. If, on the other hand, the dealer does have an ace and a king, the hands are compared to determine who wins the challenge. Should both hands be equal in value, it's a push and the player's money is returned to them.

Winning Hand Payoffs

Payoffs are determined according the various possible combinations of cards. A straight, for instance, will pay more than two pair. The payouts offered by the many different online casinos vary from venue to venue. Thus it's wise to check out any prospective site's game details and rules prior to playing.