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Caribbean Stud Poker Review
Evolution Gaming‘s Caribbean Stud Poker is one of the most exciting live poker variants out there.
In fact, it’s still the only live version of Caribbean Stud poker on the market. This makes this quick-paced, adrenaline-filled game massively popular with players in Canada and the rest of the world.
Some unique side bets, bonuses, and jackpots make Caribbean Stud Poker even more appealing. As you’ll find, the game rules are quite simple and easy to learn.
Caribbean Stud Poker is also not too particularly demanding in terms of skill and strategy. Players will, therefore, quickly be able to play a near-optimal casino game with just a few simple tips.
Where to play Caribbean Stud Poker?
Evolution Gaming is arguably the most prolific provider of live casino games.
As such, you’ll find their games in virtually every online casino’s live dealer section. But how do you decide which one to play Caribbean Stud Poker at?
You can start by browsing through our selection of recommended casinos. Compare what each gaming platform has to offer, including casino bonuses, games, payment methods, VIP rewards, customer support, and so on.
If any one of the casinos ticks all the boxes and provides all the services you’re looking for, then go on and register.
You can also read our online casino reviews to find the best place to play Caribbean Stud Poker.
How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker?
Caribbean Stud shares most of the basic rules with other popular poker variants.
Each round starts with a 52-card deck of cards being shuffled and both the dealer and player getting 5 cards each.
All 5 of the player’s cards are dealt face up. 4 of the dealer’s cards, on the other hand, are dealt face down, and only one is face up.
At this stage of the game, you can choose to place the 5 + 1 Bonus side bet. If you make the progressive side bet is made, the progressive jackpot light comes on.
With this side bet, you win if your 5 cards and the dealer’s face-up card can form a Three of a Kind hand or better. Winnings from the 5 + 1 Bonus side bet can go as high as 1,000 your stake.
At this point in the game, the player also has to decide whether to raise or fold. Once you decide, the dealer’s 4 face-down cards are turned over.
The player, thereby, finds out whether or not they have a winning hand. However, for the dealer to qualify, they should have a King and an Ace or better as part of their hand.
As a bare minimum, the dealer’s hand should have a King, an Ace, as well as a 4, 3, and 2. The dealer can also qualify if they have a hand with a minimum of one pair and higher.
At this point, the hands are compared and payouts are made to the gamblers who won.
The player wins the Ante bet if the dealer fails to qualify. If the dealer qualifies and the player has a better hand, the player also wins the play bet amount.
When playing Caribbean Stud Poker, players also stand to win an amazing progressive jackpot if they get a Royal Flush.
The jackpot doesn’t consider the dealer’s hand and also pays out lower amounts if players get Three of a Kind, Flush, Straight, Full House, Four of a Kind, and Straight Flush hands.
Caribbean Stud Poker features & betting options
As you may expect from Evolution Gaming Live Casino games, Caribbean Stud Poker is streamed in HD video.
Desktop players, therefore, need to have a decent internet connection to enjoy the best possible gaming experience on Full-Screen mode.
The best part, however, is that Evolution Gaming made Caribbean Stud Poker playable, even at the lowest video quality on Mixed Mode.
If you’re playing on a mobile device, you can only view the game in landscape mode.
When you’re playing Caribbean Stud Poker, you have the following play bet payouts:
- Royal Flush – 100:1
- Straight Flush – 50:1
- Four of a Kind – 25:1
- Full House – 10:1
- Flush – 7:1
- Straight – 5:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
- Two Pairs – 2:1
- One Pair or less – 1:1
Caribbean Stud Poker also has some even more exciting and lucrative side bets. The 5+1 bonus payouts are as following:
- Royal Flush – 1000:1
- Straight Flush – 200:1
- Four of a Kind – 100:1
- Full House – 20:1
- Flush – 15:1
- Straight – 10:1
- Three of a Kind – 7:1
Players can also place a progressive jackpot side bet for $2. Here you have the following payouts:
- Royal Straight Flush – 100% of the jackpot*
- Straight Flush – 2500:1
- Four of a Kind – 250:1
- Full House – 50:1
- Flush – 25:1
- Straight – 10:1
- Three of a Kind – 3:1
*The progressive jackpot is an accumulation of all jackpot bets that have been placed from the last time the jackpot fell (at the time of writing it stands at about $865,000!).
Caribbean Stud Poker RTP, volatility, minimum stake & maximum stake
As may have figured out, Caribbean Stud Poker is a relatively simple, yet potentially lucrative game.
The bet limits are also quite flexible. You can place bets as low as $1 and as high as $1,000, but this can vary per casino.
Players should, however, be warned that the house advantage on this game remains high, even if you’re playing the optimal strategy.
Standard bets have a 96.3% RTP, which is higher than that of most poker variants.
As it has a 91.44% RTP, the 5 + 1 Bonus side bet can become even more costly if you play it too often.
It is, after all, for a good reason poker side bets are ofttimes referred to as sucker bets. Caribbean Stud Poker is classified as a high volatility game.
Caribbean Stud Poker hints and tips
Unlike with most other games, Caribbean Stud Poker players only have very few decisions to make. You need to decide whether to raise or fold and if it’s best to place a side bet.
Other than your own cards, the only other piece of information you have to go by is the dealer’s face-up card.
While it’s possible to go down the rabbit hole and memorize all sorts of strategies, a few simple tips can significantly boost your winning chances.
If you get any hand that’s weaker than an Ace-King, you should always fold. Similarly, if you get a hand that contains a Pair or better, you should play it.
If you have a Queen and the dealer’s face-up card is lower than your send-lowest card, raise. If the dealer’s face-up card is a King or an Ace, only raise if you also have a Jack or Queen.
If the dealer’s face-up card is between a Q and a 2, raise if you have a card of the same rank. Using these simple tips, you should keep your winning rate above the house edge.
Final Thoughts
Poker fans that are away from the action but feel the itch to play a game or two will find Caribbean Stud Poker to be a very entertaining option.
The house advantage is a bit high, but Evolution Gaming more than makes up for it with quick action and potentially lucrative returns. As players and the dealer get 5 cards each, the game rules are similar to those of other poker variants.
You'll, however, find several turns and twists that make this game so much more exciting. For example, you get to decide whether to raise or fold at different periods from those of other poker games.
Evolution Gaming's professional live dealers rarely fail to entertain. The high-quality video streaming that's accessible, even on low-speed internet also makes Caribbean Stud Poker a game that's suited for every type of player.
When you factor in the incredible bonuses, 5 + 1 Bonus side bet, and a progressive jackpot, picking Caribbean Stud Poker becomes an easy choice.
