Caribbean Stud Poker

With Texas Hold ‘Em grabbing all the attention, it's easy to forget that there are many more versions of Poker which you can play. One of the most popular is Caribbean Stud Poker. It gained its poopularity on the cruise ships and has now become a standard in most casinos in the world.

It's a great game for players and one of the reasons for its popularity is that you don't need a great hand to win. If the dealer does not qualify, you win.

The game itself is very simple. A player only needs to decide how much to bet and whether or not to fold.

The game is played against a dealer and the object is to beat the dealers hand not the other players sitting at the table trying to also win.

You begin by placing your ‘ante' bet which must be at least equal to the table minimum. The player is then dealt 5 cards. One of the dealers cards is dealy face up and you must now decide whether you think you have a better hand than the dealers.. If you fold, you lose your ante but if you choose to bet against the dealer you must double the amount of your ante. To win you must not only beat the dealers hand but the dealer must ‘qualify' The dealer qualifies if he has an ace or King or better in his hand.

If the dealer does not qualify, you are paid 1 to 1 on your ante and your raise is returned to you. If the dealer qualifies, and you have a better hand, you are paid on your ante and your raise. Winning hands are determined by standard poker hand rankings.

If you have the same poker hand as the dealer, then the next highest card, the ‘kicker' will determine who wins.

This is a very simple game to master and if played well, you will have a good chance of beating the dealer.