Casino Stud Poker Review
Casino Stud Poker is Playtech’s take on 5-card poker, played against a live dealer. Players who’ve tried Evolution Gaming’s Caribbean Stud Poker will likely feel right at home.
The two games share some gameplay similarities, but Casino Stud poker is infused with a lot of Playtech magic. What makes the game unique is the addition of two optional side bets.
The 5 + 1 Side Bet allows players to bet on the dealer’s up-card. The most exciting feature, however, is a progressive jackpot can land you a life-altering win from a $1 stake.
Based in Playtech’s flagship Riga studio, Casino Stud Poker also looks and feels different from other 5-card poker games.
Reflecting on players’ growing preference to play on their mobile devices, Playtech also made Casino Stud Poker available on both landscape and portrait modes.
Where to play Casino Stud Poker?
Online casinos are booming and players now prefer to play games like Casino Stud Poker online rather than visit a brick-and-mortar casino.
With the increase in demand, it’s only natural for the number of online gaming sites to grow as well.
Today, there are hundreds of real money casinos servicing the Canadian market, and new ones open their virtual doors almost every day.
With so many platforms offering exciting games, engaging experiences, and the chance to win big, how does the typical player go about choosing the best place to play Casino Stud Poker?
For new players, every online casino seems identical to the next. We check each casino’s licensing to ensure that it’s honest and trustworthy.
This will also mean the website is secured using SSL encryption to keep your data safe from hackers.
Casinos rarely have sections for players to comment on their experiences, but our reviewers search for these reviews when creating a list of recommended online gambling sites.
By going with one of the casinos on our list, you remove risk and guesswork from the casino selection equation.
How to Play Casino Stud Poker?
You don’t have to be a WSOP champion to enjoy Playtech’s Casino Stud Poker. Of course, if you’ve played poker before, you’re more likely to enjoy the gaming experience.
The objective of this casino game is to come up with a stronger 5-card hand than what the live dealer has.
The game starts with the player selecting betting chips that correspond to how much they want to bet and moving them to the circle marked Ante.
You can also place an optional $1 bet on the progressive jackpot side bet.
The live dealer then lays out 5 face-up cards for the player. They’ll also deal the house 4 face-down cards and 1 face-up card.
Players can examine their own cards, but sharing information with other players is prohibited.
You can then assess your winning chances and then call or fold the hand.
- If you fold, you lose your Ante bet and the optional side, if you’d placed it.
- If you call, you must add an amount of cash equal to your Ante bet.
The live dealer will then turn over their 4 down-cards. For the live dealer to qualify in Casino Stud Poker, they should have a King and Ace or higher.
Put simply, they should have at least K-A-2-3-4. The strongest hand that fails to qualify would be Q-A-J-9-10.
You then have a few scenarios that can happen:
- If the dealer fails to qualify, the player wins evens on their Ante bet and push on the raise.
- If the dealer qualifies with a stronger hand than the player’s, the player loses both the Ante and raise.
- If the dealer qualifies and the player has better cards, the Ante bet wins evens and the raise is paid out according to the paytable.
- If the player and dealer’s hands have equal values, both the Ante and raise bets will push.
To keep the gaming action spicy, Playtech added 2 side bets to Casino Stud Poker.
With the 5 + 1 Side Bet, players can combine their hand and the dealer’s up-card to form the best five-card hand possible.
This side bet pays out up to 1,000x your stake separately from the main poker game. As we mentioned before, players can also make a $1 progressive jackpot side bet.
Casino Stud Poker features & betting options
As you’ve probably picked up, Casino Stud Poker has pretty simple rules.
Once you’ve played and become familiar with most of the hands, you’ll feel like a pro. However, what really sets Casino Stud Poker apart from other live casino games is the Playtech touch.
The game is streamed in HD video from Playtech’s industry-leading Eurolive studio in Riga, Latvia.
These studios have a tropical cruise ship feel, with gold-trimmed window panels.
As can be expected from a Playtech live casino title, the professionalism of the dealers is flawless. You can expect every dealer to be hospitable and entertaining.
The potential payouts are quite impressive as well. For the Ante bet, you can expect the following payouts:
- Royal Flush – 100x
- Four of a Kind – 25x
- Straight Flush – 50x
- Full House – 10x
- Straight – 5x
- Flush – 7x
- Three of a Kind – 3x
- Two Pairs – 2x
- Pair – 1x
- High Card – 1x
If your place the optional 5 + 1 Side Bet, you can expect the following payouts:
- Royal Flush – 1,000x
- Four of a Kind – 100x
- Straight Flush – 200x
- Full House – 20x
- Flush – 15x
- Straight – 10x
- Three of a Kind – 7x
Players who’re looking to play for the big bucks can stake $1 for the progressive jackpot side bet and expect the following payouts:
- Royal Flush – JACKPOT
- Straight Flush – 2,500x
- Four of a Kind – 250x
- Full House – 50x
- Flush – 25x
- Straight – 10x
- Three of a Kind – 3x
Casino Stud Poker RTP, volatility, minimum stake & maximum stake
Casino Stud Poker players can typically place bets as low as $0.50.
The highest individual stake you can place at most casinos is $250, which isn’t too bad for high rollers.
If you’re playing an optimal game, the Casino Stud Poker RTP is 96.29%. If a player does not play optimally this figure will become lower.
The RTP is also much lower for the side bets. The 5 + 1 Side Bet has an RTP of 91.44%, while the progressive jackpot has an 81.84% RTP.
Casino Stud Poker hints and tips
For a player to win at Casino Stud Poker, they should have a stronger 5-card hand than the dealer’s.
You can also win if the dealer fails to qualify, even if you have a rubbish hand.
The first step to winning this poker game is to start with a small portion of your bankroll, preferably less than 5%. This allows you to feel the lay of the land without completely going bust.
You can play any picture card, but it’s best to stick to King high hands or stronger. Keeping an eye on the live dealer’s up-card can also help you make better decisions.
If the card is higher than any of the ones in your hand, then you should immediately fold.
Final Thoughts
Playtech’s Casino Stud Poker is a thoughtfully designed 5-card-hand poker game. The game is played with a single 52-card deck, and the player's objective is to beat the dealer’s 5 card poker hand.
Casino Stud Poker is, however, made a lot more exciting because players can place 5 + 1 and progressive jackpot side bets. The former can pay up to 1,000x your stake, while the latter has an ever-growing jackpot.
A high RTP and quick gameplay also make Casino Stud Poker famous for the excitement it brings. An attractive studio, easy-to-use controls, and attractive graphics also make playing this game an enthralling prospect for true casino game fanatics.