Caribbean Stud Poker is one of the most popular single-player poker games played at online casinos.

When you play Caribbean Stud Poker online, you will be competing against the dealer's hand. You may also have the option to place an additional bet in order to participate in the progressive jackpot. If this option is available, you will normally win all or part of the progressive jackpot with a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, or Flush.

Caribbean Stud Rules

The following are basic Caribbean Stud Poker rules for playing games at most online casinos. You should also read any special rules for your casino.

In a game of Caribbean Stud Poker, the player competes against the dealer's hand. Each player makes the opening bet (the "ante"). Players may also have the option to bet (typically $1.00) to participate in the progressive jackpot. If this option is available, players win all or part of the progressive jackpot with a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House or Flush.

After the ante, the dealer deals each player five cards each face down, including himself, except that the dealer's 5th card is face up. After examining the cards, the player has two options:

(1) He may place a bet on the "play" mark equal to the ante amount and continue the game, or (2) he may Fold and withdraw from that round, forfeiting the ante. Once all of the players have made their decisions, the dealer will reveal his cards. The dealer's hand must contain an Ace-King or better to qualify and challenge the players hands, otherwise the dealer folds and only the ante wagers are paid, at 1:1 regardless of ranking. The play bet is then returned to the player.

If the dealer's hand qualifies with an Ace-King or better, then the players' cards are opened and compared against the dealer's cards. If the dealer's hand is better than the player's hand, then the player loses both the ante and play wager.

If the player's hand is better than the dealer's, then the dealer pays the player for both the ante and play wagers. For the ante, the payoff is fixed at 1:1 regardless of the hand ranking. For the play wager, the payoffs vary according to the ranking of each player's hand.

The payoffs may differ between casinos, but typically are as follows:

One Pair - 1 to 1
Two Pairs - 2 to 1
Three of a Kind - 3 to 1
Straight - 4 to 1
Flush - 5 to 1
Full House - 7 to 1
Four of a Kind - 20 to 1
Straight Flush - 50 to 1
Royal Flush - 100 to 1