The Art of Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean stud poker is a mix of both blackjack and plain poker. Well, it's actually the simplest kind of poker out there since you needn't worry about drawing more cards, betting rounds and blinds, bluffing and all that other stuff. So what's involved in the art of Caribbean stud?

First off, you'd sit at a table that's very much like a blackjack table with six spots. But its similarity to blackjack doesn't end there. It's because - as with blackjack - you'll only be playing against the dealer.

Now, the game starts when you and the other players have placed an ante. The dealer then hands each of you five cards facing down. Those will make up your poker hand, respectively.

The dealer also gets five cards but one of them will be revealed for everyone to see. That one exposed dealer card is what you'll use to make your decision to either fold or play your hand.

If you fold, the dealer will then collect your ante and you'll just have to wait until the next round to play. If you think that you can beat the dealer, you'll have to place a bet that's two times the amount of the ante to play your hand.

When everyone has made their decisions, the rest of the dealer cards will be exposed and everyone will show their hands as well. Keep in mind that you'll only have to compare your hand against the dealer as called for in Caribbean stud poker. You'll then refer to hand ranks to determine if you've won or lost.

The more-or-less tricky part only comes about when you've won. The reason is that the amount that you'll be awarded will depend if the dealer qualifies or not. Now, the dealer executes this part of Caribbean stud poker, of course. But it'll be good to know the payout rules when you win. So when do you know if the dealer who lost qualifies or not?

The dealer's qualified with a minimum of a king and ace poker hand or higher. If that's the case, you'll be awarded a value that's equal to your winning hand rank according to the table's payout. But if the dealer fails to qualify, your winning hand will be awarded the value of the ante.

Looking at the mechanics of Caribbean stud poker, it sure looks like that all you need to do is sit there, mind the dealer's hand, make a bet, determine if you're in or not in just one round - very much like blackjack. Also, if you do win, you'll just need to hope that the dealer qualifies so that you'll get the payout your winning hand deserves.