How to Play Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud, or more formally Caribbean Stud Poker, has grown extremely popular in the past few years, and is now the casino game of choice for many players. It is gaining a huge amount of fans in online casinos and is a great table game, even offering players a shot at a progressive jackpot. To play the game you’ll need to know the poker hand rankings, but unlike poker, Caribbean Stud Poker is played against the dealer, not other players. It’s a fast game and offers hours of online entertainment, and most US-friendly online casinos like Lincoln Casino, Bovada Casino, and Ignition Casino will allow you to practice playing for free.

How to Play Caribbean Stud Online

Place the Ante Bet
Start by placing your ante bet to enter the hand.
Deal the Cards
You receive five cards face down. The dealer gets five cards, with one face-up card visible.
Decide to Play or Fold
Evaluate your hand against the dealer's face-up card. Fold to lose only the ante, or bet twice the ante to continue.
Dealer's Hand Reveal
The dealer reveals their cards. They qualify with Ace/King high or better. If they qualify and beat you, you lose both ante and bet. If you win, ante pays even money (1:1), and the bet pays according to the payout table.

Place the Side Bet
Before the deal, place the progressive bet, typically $1.
Qualifying Hands
The dealer's hand is irrelevant for this bet. Get a Royal Flush for the full jackpot, or Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, or Flush for a portion.

Caribbean Stud Poker Payouts

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

The Caribbean Stud Progressive Jackpot

The progressive jackpot bet is a little risky in this game; however, many people play it because, let's face it, you just never know, and it is a little extra fun. The dealer's hand is irrelevant in this side bet, and to hit the full jackpot you’ll need to be dealt a royal flush. However, you win a portion of the jackpot with a straight flush, four of a kind, full house, or flush. You won’t win on many hands, but when you do, it is a very nice win indeed.