Online Caribbean Stud Poker: 2024 best sites, rules, bonuses, etc

Caribbean Stud Poker was once a popular casino table game. It was one of the first poker pit games. Nearly any gaming establishment with live table games dealt it.

The years have been unkind to the game however. When poker table games like Three Card Poker and Let It Ride came along, players decided Caribbean Stud was not worth playing.

It started dying in the 2000s. Today, there are hardly any live versions of it left. The last Las Vegas Caribbean Stud Poker disappeared in March 2020. It was at Venetian and Palazzo on the Strip.

There are still a couple of tables of Caribbean Stud in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. However, most of the casinos where you can find the game are now online.

Advantages of Playing Caribbean Stud Poker at Online Casinos

There are many reasons why playing Caribbean Stud Poker is better online than at traditional casinos. The clearest one is that the game is almost entirely dead in brick-and-mortar casinos while being alive and well at online ones. Caribbean Stud Poker plays faster at internet casino sites than at live ones. Online games usually offer a $1 progressive bonus, which is the core of why most players choose it.

The minimum bet for online Caribbean Stud Poker is usually $1. If you find it at a casino, it usually starts at $5 or $10.

Online casino sites offer bonuses with reasonable wagering requirements to help lower the house edge. At a live casino, a free drink or two is usually all the comps offered to players.

Five of the Best Online Casinos for Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is one of the oldest poker table games. Most casino sites offer it. Many have a $1 progressive jackpot. Some online casinos network the progressive jackpots between other games like Let It Ride.

1

BONUS:

150% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.7 / 5

CASINO OPERATOR WITH BIG PROGRESSIVE JACKPOTS

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG

GAMES

290+

RELOADS

VARIES

MORE INFO

READ REVIEW

Ignition Casino is another site with a $1 progressive jackpot that can grow into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Players don’t need to make a royal flush to win this side bet because it pays out on any flush or better. You can get a 150% up to $1,500 bonus to use on Caribbean Stud with a 208x bonus rollover.

VISIT IGNITION CASINO NOW

2

BONUS:

125% up to $1,250

★★★★★

4.6 / 5

CASINO OPERATOR $1 ROYAL FLUSH PROGRESSIVE

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG

GAMES

290+

RELOADS

100% up to $1,000

MORE INFO

READ REVIEW

Bovada is one of the few online casinos that offers a $1 progressive jackpot for Caribbean Stud Poker. It is tied to Let It Ride and Caribbean Hold’em across multiple sites. This helps the jackpot grow faster. It is often over $100,000. The best part is that Caribbean Stud Poker may be played with the $1,250 (times three) deposit bonus offered to new players, and the playthrough demanded is just 225x the bonus amount.

VISIT BOVADA CASINO NOW

3

BONUS:

150% up to $750

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

CASINO WITH SIMPLE SOFTWARE FOR QUICK PLAY

SOFTWARE:

NUCLEUS, RIVAL, RTG, BETSOFT

GAMES

500+

RELOADS

MANY

MORE INFO

READ REVIEW

Some casino sites have annoying animations that slow the game down. My Bookie offers a clean and simple platform to let you play as fast as you want. You can slow it down, too, based on your preferences. New players receive a 150% up to $750 bonus with a 400x rollover on the bonus amount.

VISIT MYBOOKIE CASINO NOW

4

BONUS:

300% up to $3,000

★★★★★

4.2 / 5

CASINO WITH FOUR MASSIVE DEPOSIT BONUSES

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG, BGAMING, BETSOFT

GAMES

290+

RELOADS

MANY

MORE INFO

READ REVIEW

Caribbean Poker is the name for this game at Wild Casino. It is available for all five of the deposit bonuses available. The first is 300% up to $3,000, meaning you can get the maximum bonus with just a $1,000 deposit. The other four bonuses are 150% up to $1,500. The WR is 600x bonus for the initial deposit bonus.

VISIT WILD CASINO NOW

5

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.1 / 5

CASINO WITH TRIPLE THE BONUS MONEY

SOFTWARE:

RIVAL, RTG, BETSOFT

GAMES

290+

RELOADS

VARIES

MORE INFO

READ REVIEW

BetOnline also deals an easy-to-use version of Caribbean Stud Poker. You can increase your return with three $1000 deposit matches. This may be used on your first deposits. Each bonus carries a 900x wagering requirement on Caribbean Stud.

VISIT BETONLINE NOW

What is Caribbean Stud Poker?

Caribbean Stud Poker is a classic casino table game. Its rules and strategy are simple. The dealer and players each receive five cards. The dealer exposes one card while keeping the other four down.

The main goal is to make a royal flush to scoop the progressive jackpot. Since that is a 649,739 to 1 shot, there are other ways to win on both the side bet and the raise when the dealer qualifies.

Players win on the bonus bet when making a full house or better. There is also an opportunity to win by making any pair or better or a strong ace-king high without a pair when the dealer qualifies.

The largest negative when playing Caribbean Stud Poker is the need for the dealer to qualify to hit big wins on the raise. If the dealer fails to make an ace-king high or better, that bet pushes. It doesn’t matter if it is a pair or a royal flush.

How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker

There are three ways to play Caribbean Stud Poker. This includes the video version online, at a live casino, and live dealer.

The first step when playing Caribbean Stud Poker is buying into the game. At a casino site, make a deposit in the cashier part of the software. The most common options are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and crypto like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Once you have online chips, open the Caribbean Stud table in the software. Choose your preferred denomination of chips. At most casino sites, that starts at $1. You may find some that deal the game for dimes.

Once you pick your preferred denomination, click the betting circle for the number of times that equal the amount you want to bet. If you prefer to wager on the progressive, click the circle in front of the main bet to place the $1 there. It is usually red.

The Deal

When you are ready for action, click the deal button. The player and dealer each receive five cards. If you want to play the hand, click the raise button. The raise is double the ante. If your hand is not worth playing, click the fold button.

A hand of Caribbean Stud Poker requires three bets to compete. The ante is one unit. The raise is two. This does not include the progressive side bet.

If your balance is too low to raise, the software will not allow the hand to start. At that point, the options are to lower the bet, fund your account, or leave the game.

Live Caribbean Stud Poker

If you find this game at a live casino, either bring chips from another table or buy into it with cash. Place at least enough chips in the betting circle to meet the minimum bet. It is imperative to have enough chips to cover the raise, which is double the ante.

There is a $1 side bet with a royal flush progressive. This goes in the red circle. The dealer picks the $1 chips up before dealing cards.

Five cards are dealt to the player and house. The player has the option of placing double the amount of chips in the raise box or folding. It is important to keep at least twice the ante in your bankroll. If you do not have enough money to raise, the dealer will fold your hand.

Showdown

The Caribbean Stud Poker hand showdown is simple. If the dealer has at least ace-king high, the house qualifies. This means any hand without a pair but that includes an ace and a king. All other hands of a pair or better also qualify.

When the dealer qualifies, the ante and raise are in action. If the dealer does not qualify, the ante wins even money and the raise pushes, regardless of the strength of the player’s hand. Side bets play every hand, even when the dealer does not qualify.

Players’ ante bets win if the dealer does not qualify even if the dealer’s hand is better. However, the basic strategy says do not play with a hand worse than ace-king high.

If the dealer qualifies, the dealer and player hands are compared. If the dealer has the better hand, the ante and raise lose. If the player beats the dealer, the ante wins even money and the raise is paid.

Caribbean Poker Game at BetOnline

The paytables used vary a bit based upon the specific casino, but the values listed below represent one of the most common arrangements found online. Multiply the amount of the raise by the numbers that correspond to the hand’s strength:

• Royal flush: 200
• Straight flush: 50
• Four of a kind: 20
• Full house: 7
• Flush: 5
• Straight: 4
• Three of a kind: 3
• Two pair: 2
• Pair: 1
• No pair: 1

The player must win the hand to get paid. So for example, if the player has three of a kind and the dealer has a straight, the raise loses.

Caribbean Poker Payouts at MyBookie

Caribbean Stud Poker Side Bets

The most common Caribbean Stud side bet is the progressive. It pays out when a player making the $1 bet is dealt a royal flush. A straight flush gets 10% of the meter. Any hand with a flush or better wins. The side bet pays regardless of whether or not the dealer qualifies:

There is some variation in the progressive bet payout values. Below are the details of one of the most common setups:

• Royal flush: 100% of the jackpot meter
• Straight flush: 10% of the jackpot meter
• Four of a kind: $500
• Full house: $100
• Flush: $75

The $1 side bet loses on any hand that is a straight or lower.

Types of Caribbean Stud Poker Games

There are three ways to play Caribbean Stud Poker. Decades ago, the most popular was at casinos. Most of those live tables disappeared over the years. Today, the best Caribbean Stud Poker options are at casino sites. There are video and live dealer options online.

Casino Caribbean Stud Poker

Brick-and-mortar Caribbean Stud Poker is how the game started. Most major casinos dealt the game in the ‘90s and 2000s. There are seven seats at a live table. Each player and the dealer receive five cards. One of the dealer’s cards is placed face up.

The players are against the dealer, not each other. There is no reason to care about the strength of other players’ hands. However, knowing if another player holds an ace or a king may help change some marginal raise and fold situations.

Real chips are used in a live game. The minimum bet is usually $5 or $10. This makes red chips the most common at the table.

The side bet is $1. Traditional chips are not used for this bet. Slot tokens are typically placed on the red side bet circle. The dealer collects these chips before cards go out. The red circle stays lit to show surveillance which players qualify for it.

Once players decide to raise or fold, the dealer exposes the four down cards. If the dealer has at least an ace-king high, the house opens and all bets are in play.

The player and dealer hands are compared to determine the winner. Winning raise bets are paid based on the paytable shown earlier in this article. When the dealer has less than ace-king high, the ante wins and the raise pushes.

Video Caribbean Stud Poker

Video Caribbean Stud is only dealt by online casinos. A player gets into action by making a deposit.

Click the denomination that best suits your level of play. If there is a progressive bonus side bet available, it will be played as a dollar when clicked. When you are ready to play, click the deal button. Click the fold button to end the hand and the raise one to play it.

When the hand is over, a new one starts the same way. If you prefer to make the same bet on the next hand, click the rebet button.

Live Dealer Caribbean Stud Poker

Some online casinos deal live dealer Caribbean Stud Poker. This plays like a stadium game at a casino. There is a dealer with real cards. Each player gets a hand. Bets are made on a screen. A card reader records each hand and pays it accurately and quickly.

Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy

Most of the Caribbean Stud Poker strategy is simple. If you have at least a pair, raise. When the hand contains no pair and is not ace-king high, fold. The only hands that require much thought are the ace-kings. That is also the only time the dealer’s exposed card matters.

If you have ace-king, play if you match the dealer’s door card and it is queen or lower. This decreases the chances the dealer has a pair. Also, play if you see an ace or king and you hold a queen or jack with your ace-king high. If you have ace-king-queen high, play if your next highest card is higher than the one you see in front of the dealer.

If all that is too complicated to remember for ace-king hands, there is a simpler way. Just play any ace, king, Jack, eight, three or better.

House Advantage

The Caribbean Stud Poker house edge is among the highest of all poker pit games at 5.2%. However, this figure is based upon the expected loss per unit of the ante wager. When accounting for the fact that raises are common and thus increase the average amount bet per hand, it holds around 2.6%. This 2.6% is the element of risk, which is a measure of expected win or loss relative to the total amount bet.

For the sake of comparison, the house advantage in blackjack is almost always below 1% at 3:2 tables, and baccarat has house edges just above 1%. Three card poker tends to have a house edge between 3% and 4% on the ante with an element of risk below 2.5% depending on the specific pay chart in use. Ultimate Texas Hold’em meanwhile has house edges of less than 3% across the ante, blind, play, and trips wagers with an element of risk tending to be below 1%.

In Caribbean Stud Poker games where the progressive side bet is available, the house advantage depends both on the paytable used and on the current jackpot totals but in general it is usually around 25%! In order for the progressive to be +EV, using the 100%/10%/$500/$100/$75 paytable, the meter would have to exceed $200,000.

History of Caribbean Stud Poker

The history of Caribbean Stud Poker is somewhat of a mystery. Renowned poker author David Sklansky invented something like it in the 1980s. It was called Casino Poker.

This version exposed two dealer hole cards as opposed to the one it does now. There was also no progressive jackpot. Skalnsky gave up trying to place the game after failing to get a patent and gave the idea to a friend.

The game’s concept changed hands a few times and eventually found placement at the International Casino in Aruba, which is now the Excelsior Casino. It was also dealt on cruise ships. It is believed casino owner Danny Jones was behind this.

Michael Titus, a friend of Danny Jones, came up with the idea of the progressive jackpot. This was common in slot machines and video poker at the time. This was the first time it was ever added to a table game. Today, many major live table games have progressive jackpots. Some are tied together between different games.

Practice & Free Games

One of the best features of online casinos is that there is practice available. Free Caribbean Stud Poker is offered at casino sites. Most do not require players to create an account for play money games. This allows players to try out the games before risking real money. It also can show players the high house edge and volatility of the game.

Caribbean Stud Poker for Practice Play at Ignition Casino

Bankroll Strategies

Caribbean Stud Poker has one of the highest variances of any casino table game. In addition to that, it has one of the worst house advantages. It is best to avoid playing the game. Most players will never get a straight flush or royal flush in their lifetimes at this game.

If you decide to take your shot at it, the bankroll requirement is massive. Players should have at least 100 base bets for a session. This means $500 is needed at a live casino to ensure an afternoon of the game does not end in going bust.

Online casinos start at $1. Since the progressive bet is also $1 and is really the only reason to play the game, about 150 to 200 bets are required.

Mobile Apps

There are two ways to play Caribbean Stud Poker at casino sites. One is on a computer. The other is using a mobile device like a phone or tablet.

MyBookie Caribbean Poker on a Smartphone

If you want to play on the go or prefer to not use computers for casino sites, Apple and Android devices are compatible with these games. No download is required. Caribbean Stud Poker and other games play right in the browser. If you prefer an app, those are often available as well.

Summary

Caribbean Stud Poker offers players the chance to win a massive jackpot when getting dealt a royal flush. If that or a straight flush is not dealt to the player, it is almost guaranteed that it will be a losing session.

The house edge is 2.55% when including the raises. However, much of the return is in the top hands, creating massive variance.

Caribbean Stud is mostly dead at live casinos. Other poker table games like Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and High Card Flush took over that space. Players burned out on losing money at Caribbean Stud chasing the royal flush and eventually moved on. It became harder for casinos to deal the game as limits increased due to inflation.

Online casino sites are about the only way to play the game these days. The minimum bet is either $0.10 or $1. This makes it a better version of the game due to the lower bankroll requirement.

Most online casinos still offer the $1 progressive jackpot. Some are even a dime. This pays 100% on a dealt royal flush and 10% on a straight flush. Hands of a flush or higher win the side bet.

The odds of getting dealt a royal flush are one in 649,740. It is one in 72,193 to receive a straight flush in five cards.

Whenever you’re ready, click on one of the links in the box below to be directed to the online Caribbean Stud Poker provider of your choice and set up an account:

Caribbean Stud Poker FAQs

We’ve attempted to outline above anything you could wish to know about Caribbean Stud Poker. Still, we recognize that you might still have unanswered questions; therefore, we have composed a FAQ below.