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Caribbean Poker Rules and Tips
By Todd Gamble

Poker has become world famous lately, with televised championships and celebrity poker game shows.  Its popularity, though, stretches back quite a bit farther than its TV ratings.  Over the years many variations on the original poker game have developed, including some games that are not quite poker anymore.

Caribbean stud poker is one of these games.  Despite the name, Caribbean stud poker is more closely related to blackjack than traditional poker, in that the players bet against the bank instead of each other. The winning hands, though, are the traditional poker hands. There is no bluffing or other kinds of deception.

In Caribbean stud poker, you are expected to ante up before the dealer declares “No more bets.”  At that point, both you and the bank (dealer) and of course all of the other players receive five cards each.  Once you have seen your hand and the bank’s first card, you must either make a call bet or surrender.  The call bet’s value is equal to your original ante, meaning that the stakes will have doubled.  Surrendering means that your ante goes directly to the bank.

After the bet comes the showdown.  If the bank does not have ace/king or better, your bet is returned, plus an amount equal to the ante.  If the bank does have ace/king or better, you win if your hand beats the bank’s hand.  The bank pays out money even with your ante and fixed odds on your call bet.  These odds are:

• Even for a pair or high card
• 2-1 for two pairs
• 3-1 for three of a kind
• 4-1 for a straight
• 5-1 for a flush
• 7-1 for a full house
• 20-1 for a four of a kind
• 50-1 for a straight flush
• 100-1 for a royal flush

For your convenience these are listed from the lowest possible winning hand to the highest, which is why the payouts for the hands lower on the list are at such an increased percentage.

If the bank has ace/king or better and you cannot beat the bank’s hand, then they win and you lose both your ante and your bet.  To start the next round of betting, you only need to place the next ante and start all over. 

 There are several rules, which must be observed at all times at the tables.  These include:

• Only one hand per player.  No player may hold or wager on multiple hands at the same time.
• No communicating or exchanging card information with any of the other players, or with the dealer.  This will result in an immediate forfeiture of wagers and a dead hand.
• Incorrect number of cards to a player results in a dead hand for that player only, and the wager is returned.
• The decisions of the table and/or casino or floor supervisor are final and not subject to dispute.
• A misdeal shall result in all hands being made void, and the deck shuffled.
• Each player must keep his or her cards in sight of the dealer at all times.  Once the player has looked at his or her cards, they should be returned to the layout on the table and not be touched again until the time comes to turn the hands.
• If a hole card is exposed prior to the dealer announcing “No more bets”, all hands are made void.

If you are getting interested in playing Caribbean stud poker, then by all means phone a couple of friends and set up some time to teach them to play.  You will all have plenty of fun learning and playing together.  If you don’t know anyone else who would like to play with you, you could try playing Caribbean stud poker online.  There are a large number of online casino and gaming web sites, and many of them offer Caribbean stud poker.  Play for free until you get the hang of the game, and then play for real money if you so desire. 

Casinos also offer Caribbean stud poker, so once you get the hang of the game, it might be fun to make an excursion to the nearest casino and test your skills against a live dealer.  A good tip for Caribbean stud poker, though, is that when you play the house, the house wins.  The odds are stacked against you in the long run in one-on-one games like this, so play with caution.

A few extra tips before we send you on your way:

• Read all the rules and limits at a table before you sit.
• The odds are on the house.  Determine if the price is worth the pleasure of the game.
• Never try to bluff a hand.  This is not a bluffing game.
• Payout odds can vary from casino to casino, so verify your odds before playing.

And now that you know the rules and tips of Caribbean stud poker, go out there and win yourself some money and have yourself some fun.  If you keep in mind that gambling is about having a good time, you will be the ultimate winner.  Best of luck!

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