Caribbean Poker indtroduction

One of the popular and very entertaining casino games is Caribbean Poker. Despite being a poker game but many online gamblers don’t look at it as a poker game. This is due to the fact that in this game, the player faces the house.

The whole aim of the game is to have a stronger hand than the dealer if the dealer holds a qualified hand. On the other hand in all of the poker games, players play against each other.

Another thing that makes it as far as it can be from being poker game is the fact that most online operators add a progressive jackpot feature to the game which makes it a slot game more than being a poker game. Of course, all of this eliminates one of the most important features of poker which is bluffing.

Caribbean Poker Gameplay

You start with placing a bet, an ante bet, and then you are dealt 5 cards faced down. The dealer gets 4 cards also faced down and the fifth card is revealed. Then you are asked to fold your hand or to stay. In order to stay you will have to place a call bet.

If the dealer doesn’t have a qualified hand, then the call bets are refunded and the ante bets are doubled. Although it is considered a win, but the ante bets are low, so it is not a great win. For the dealer to qualify he has to have an Ace and a King at least.

The History of Caribbean Poker

Caribbean Poker was created by casinos in order to capitalize on the popularity and the wide spread of poker. They created it in order to capitalize on a game of poker in the form of a house-banked game. The origin of the game is undocumented but David Sklansky, the gambling genius has claimed that he is the person who invented it and formulated Caribbean Poker. He said that he has invented it and posted it in 1982 on a poker forum under the name “Casino Poker”. The rules of this game slightly differ from the rules of the Caribbean poker that is played nowadays. For example, the dealer had 2 hole cards instead of only one card. Also, there was no progressive jackpot tied to the game. The inventor, David Sklansk, was unable to patent his invention Casino Poker as a result of patent laws. A Few years after he posted it on the forum, he got approached by another poker player who patented the game in Aruba. The casino and the poker player changed the rules slightly which resulted in the formation in what we know today as Caribbean Stud Poker.

The Procedure of the game

Most Caribbean Poker games follow the same rules and procedure but some of them may offer different wagering limits and payouts.

The game starts as every player seated at the table would place a wager called an Ante, like any other poker game. Players will place their chips on a spot that is marked on the poker table. Players who do not place the Ante will not be able to participate in the game. Players will be able to place their primary wagers “Ante” before the dealer states “No More Bets”. After he says that, players who did not place the Ante would not be able to play.

Players who want to have a chance to earn the progressive jackpot of this game will be able to do so by tossing a chip on the table. This will activate the jackpot light for the player’s seat for the upcoming hand. Players will be able to place the progressive wager before the dealer states “No More Bets”.

After the players place the ante and the progressive jackpot bet if they want, each will get five cards facing down, including the dealer. The dealer will then turn one of his cards and will push the cards in the direction of the players. Only then, the players will be able to see their cards. Players are not permitted to talk to discuss their cards with any of the players who are seated at the poker table.

Players will then be faced with an option, they can fold the hand or play it. Players who fold will throw their hand and it is over for them. On the other hand, players who want to continue in the game will have to raise, they will have to place a wager that is as twice as the first wager, the Ante. They will place that wager in a box that is located on the table called Bet.

After all of the players at the table make one of these two decisions, the dealer will reveal the remaining 4 cards. The dealer qualifies if his hand has a king and an ace or forms a pair at least. If the dealer does not have a qualifying hand, then the players will win the ante bet instantly despite of their hand but the raise bet will be a tie. If it is a qualifying hand, the dealer will compare his poker hand of five cards to the 5 cards of each player. He will compare the hand of each player individually and he will start with the player who is seated farthest to the right.

Caribbean Stud Poker Rules

– Players can only play with one hand each as players can’t place wagers or hold more than one hand at the poker table.

– Players who want to insert a chip into the progressive jackpot slot will have to make sure that the chip has entered and that the progressive light is on.

– Players cannot communicate with other players about their hand. Players who do that will lose all of their wagers.

– If a player has more or less than five cards, his hand will be dead which means it is out of the game play.

–  The players will have to make sure that their five cards that form their hands are visible to the dealer during the game play.

-If one of the hole cards is revealed before they should or before the dealer says No More Bets, all of the hands are going to be void

Payouts

In this game, the payout of the player will depend on two things. The first thing is defeating the hand of the dealer and the second thing is the poker hand itself. If the player’s hand beats the dealer’s hand, he will get even money on the Ante bet and the following payouts on the Raise bet.

A Royal Flush would pay 100 to 1

A Straight Flush would pay 50 to 1

Four of a Kind would pay 20 to 1

Full House would pay 7 to 1

A flush would pay 5 to 1

A Straight would pay 4 to 1

3 of a Kind would pay 3 to 1

Two Pair would pay 2 to 1

A Pair would pay even money

Players who place a bet on the progressive jackpot game will win the progressive feature if they achieve a flush poker hand or higher, despite the cards of the dealer.

Online Caribbean Stud Poker

The procedure of online Caribbean Stud poker is the same as land based poker but much faster since there are no other players at the table. This game can be found at numerous online casinos such as William Hill, Jackpot city and Gaming Club among others.