CASINO/CARIBBEAN STUD POKER RULES

In this style of poker, a favourite in the Caribbean and aboard cruise ships, each player plays against the dealer and not against the other players. In Caribbean Poker you place an ante, receive a hand, and then decide whether or not you would like to bet. If you bet and if the dealer's hand qualifies (contains and Ace/King combination or better), your hand will be compared to the dealer's. If you win, your payoff will be determined by the quality of your hand.

After you have placed your ante you will be dealt 5 cards. The dealer will then receive four cards face down and one card face up.

At this point, you may either bet if you think you can win or surrender if you feel that your hand is inadequate. If you bet, your bet will equal twice your ante. If you surrender, you will lose your ante to the dealer and the hand will end.

The dealer will then reveal his cards, and one of two things will happen: he will either qualify, or he will fail to qualify. If the dealer does not have an Ace King combination or better in his hand, he will fail to qualify. (In other words, the dealer must have at least a pair if he does not have both an Ace and a King).

If the dealer does not qualify, your will receive a 1 to 1 payoff on your ante and your bet will be returned to you. If the dealer does qualify, his hand will then be compared to yours.

If the dealer's hand beats yours, you will lose your ante and your bet. If the dealer's hand and your hand are equal, no money will be exchanged. If your hand beats the dealer's hand, you will win even money (1 to 1) on your ante, plus a payoff on your bet based on the quality of your hand (see below).

If the dealer and you both have the same hand (for example you have one pair and the dealer has one pair), then the winner is the one with the high ranking cards. If the dealer has one pair, for example jack, jack, ten, six and five and the player has one pair hand of jack, jack, ten, eight and four, then the player wins.

Your original ante and bet in addition to any winnings will be displayed as separate piles of chips.

The hand rankings in Caribbean poker are the standard poker rankings, listed from lowest to highest below: