Caribbean Stud Rules

| Published on October 28, 2007

The Rules

Up to seven players can participate in Caribbean Stud online. Players face off directly against the dealer, not each other. Before any cards are dealt, all players must throw in their mandatory ante. The dealer then distributes sets of five cards to each player. The dealer is also dealt five cards. One card in the dealer’s set is turned over so that every player can see it.

After looking at their cards, each player decides whether or not to fold. Players that fold lose their ante. Players that wish to continue must make a bet. The bet amount is exactly twice the ante. After all players have folded or placed their bets, the dealer’s four remaining cards are revealed.

The next step is dealer qualification. The dealer has to have at least an ace-king hand, or the dealer’s hand will not qualify. If the dealer does not have at least an ace-king hand, all players who stayed in will win their antes, but not their bets. If the dealer does not qualify, all second call bets are considered a push. These bets are neither won nor lost. If the dealer’s hand does qualify, it is compared to every other players poker hand. Players holding a lower five card poker hand lose both their antes and their bets. Players holding a higher poker hand win both their antes and their bets. Increased payouts are available for quality poker hands.

Progressive Jackpot

Perhaps the biggest draw to this table game is the inclusion of a progressive jackpot feature. Players can drop an additional side bet so that they are eligible for a big jackpot.

If you are dealt a monster hand (flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush or royal flush), you could win a huge jackpot. The odds are slim that you’ll hit your monster hand, but if you do, and you haven’t paid the additional side bet amount (typically $1 in online casino games), then you’ll lose out on a massive payday. If you make the progressive jackpot side bet, and you get a monster hand, you’ll get paid even if the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify.

Caribbean Stud is poker only in spirit. Outside of the hand rankings, there’s really nothing poker-related about this game. You can’t play against other players, and you can’t bluff. Keep this in mind when you play. You can’t bluff a dealer who can’t fold, and the way you play has no effect on the players around you. Still, this simple game does have its perks (progressive jackpots, table camaraderie and so forth). If you’re looking for a straight-forward, easy-to-play casino game, Caribbean Stud can be very enjoyable.