Caribbean Stud Poker Guide

How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker

Setup: All players post an ante bet. An optional progressive jackpot side bet (usually $1) can also be placed.

Deal: Each player and the dealer receive five cards face down. The dealer then turns one card face up.

Player decision: After seeing your five cards and the dealer's one visible card, you choose:
- Fold: Lose your ante
- Raise: Place a bet of exactly 2× your ante to continue

Dealer qualification: The dealer reveals all cards. To qualify, the dealer needs Ace-King or better. If the dealer doesn't qualify:
- Ante pays 1:1
- Raise is returned (push)

If dealer qualifies: Hands are compared. If your hand beats the dealer:
- Ante pays 1:1
- Raise pays according to the pay table (see below)

If the dealer wins, both ante and raise are lost.

Caribbean Stud Pay Table

If your hand beats the dealer's qualifying hand, the raise portion pays:

| Hand | Payout |
|------|--------|
| Royal Flush | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | 50:1 |
| Four of a Kind | 20:1 |
| Full House | 7:1 |
| Flush | 5:1 |
| Straight | 4:1 |
| Three of a Kind | 3:1 |
| Two Pair | 2:1 |
| Pair or less | 1:1 |

(Pay table varies by casino — always check the specific table's posted odds.)

Optimal Strategy

Caribbean Stud strategy is based on a single decision: fold or raise.

Always raise if you have: A pair or better.

Always fold if you have: Less than Ace-King high.

The complex zone — Ace-King high hands: Raise if:
- Your hand contains any of the dealer's visible card's rank, OR
- Your hand contains an Ace or King AND your next highest card outranks the dealer's face-up card

In simpler terms: with Ace-King high, raise if you have the dealer's card value in your hand (which reduces the probability the dealer can improve their hand).

With this strategy, the house edge is approximately 5.22% — much higher than blackjack or baccarat. Caribbean Stud is a high-house-edge game by design.

The Progressive Jackpot Side Bet

The $1 side bet qualifies your hand for the progressive jackpot:

| Hand | Payout |
|------|--------|
| Royal Flush | 100% of jackpot |
| Straight Flush | 10% of jackpot |
| Four of a Kind | $500 (typically) |
| Full House | $100 |
| Flush | $50 |

The progressive jackpot bet has a house edge of approximately 26–46% depending on the current jackpot size. The bet only becomes positive expected value when the jackpot exceeds approximately $250,000–$300,000. Most players should avoid it; jackpot hunters may find value when the pot is unusually high.