How to Play: Live Poker Tutorial

What Is Caribbean Stud Poker?

Caribbean Stud Poker is another popular poker variant played at casinos. Essentially, it’s 3-Card Brag with fice cards per hand instead of three. If you read the guide above, you’ll have a pretty good idea about how it works. Poker pros can also look at it this way – this is 5-card Stud Poker, except you play against the house.

If not, we’ll start with the basic Caribbean Stud Poker rules. The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards, shuffling it between every round. The goal of the game is to create a 5-card poker hand stronger than the dealer’s.

Caribbean Stud Poker RTP is typically around 96.3%. However, this figure factors in possible Fold hands and so on. If you also consider Call bet bonuses and optimal strategy, it’s theoretically possible to move up to 98.18%.

How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker

1. Choose a table at a live dealer casino and place an Ante bet using the interface.
2. The dealer will then place five cards on your side of the table facing up. They will also place 5 cards on their end of the table, with only one card face up.
3. Examine the cards and determine whether you want to Fold or keep playing. If you Fold, your Ante bet instantly loses.
4. If you’re satisfied with your cards you have to make a Call bet to keep playing. The stake for the Call bet is always equal to twice the Ante bet.
5. The dealer will turn over the rest of their cards. They need at least an Ace and a King to qualify.
6. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, you win the Ante bet and the Call bet pushes, returning its full stake to you.
7. If the dealer qualifies, the two hands are compared, and the stronger poker hand wins.
8. If your hand is stronger, the Ante always pays even money, or 1:1 odds. The Call bet pays depending on how strong your poker hand is.
9. If your hand is weaker, you lose both the Ante and the Call bet.
10. In the unlikely event that the two hands are completely equal, both bets push.

Caribbean Stud Poker Hand Rankings

Any experienced poker player is familiar with how poker hands work. Essentially, the harder it is to make a certain hand, the stronger it is relative to all other card combinations.

Just in case, we’ve included a Caribbean Stud Poker hand ranking, going from strongest to weakest.

1. Royal Flush
2. Straight Flush
3. Four of a Kind
4. Full House
5. Flush
6. Straight
7. Three of a Kind
8. Two Pairs
9. Pair 
10. High Card

Caribbean Stud Poker Payouts

As noted above, the Ante bet always pays 1:1. However, your Call bet pays depending on how strong the card is.

Different software providers may offer slightly different rulesets. However, the Caribbean Stud Poker paytable below is pretty much identical in most titles.

Where to Play Poker at a Casino

3-Card Poker is one of the most common casino table games at this point, and it’s widely available at many live casino sites. the Caribbean 5-card variant is not as easy to find, with only a handful of software providers including it in their portfolio. Below, you’ll find some casinos that include both.

Do not take your choice of the best casino to play live dealer poker lightly. Bonuses and terms depend on it, as does the security of your hard-earned money. In fact, choosing the best live casinos for your needs is one of the most important decisions you can make as an online gambler.

Here are some top picks if you’re looking for a suggestion.

FAQ

• What are the rules of 3 Card Poker?

The rules of 3 Card Poker were adapted to fit casino table game standards. The game has two simple phases. Players first buy in, after which their 3-card hands are revealed. You can then choose to either fold or Call, which doubles your stake. If you decide to call, the player hand is compared to the dealer’s, and the stronger one wins.

• Is 3 Card Poker a thing?

Three Card Poker is a relatively popular casino game found in many gambling establishments across the world. It is especially common in live dealer online casinos, in which it replaces traditional poker games.

• Who invented Caribbean Stud poker?

Caribbean Stud Poker was invented by professional poker player David Sklansky in 1982. It is a variant of five-card stud poker intended for casino table play.

• Where is Caribbean Stud poker played?

Despite the name, Caribbean Stud Poker was mostly played in US land-based casinos during the late 80s and 90s. It has since drooped in popularity, but some casino venues still offer it. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, it again surged in popularity as it was introduced to online gambling – specifically live dealer online casinos.