Caribbean Stud Poker is a five-card stud table game where you play against the dealer, not other players. You post an ante, look at your five cards and the dealer’s one up card, then either fold or raise twice your ante. With the standard pay table and correct strategy, the house edge is about 5.22% of the ante, which is higher than most other poker-based table games.
Caribbean Stud at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Deck | Single 52-card deck |
| Bets | Ante, raise (2x ante), optional $1 progressive side bet |
| Dealer qualifies | Ace-king or better |
| House edge | 5.22% of the ante with optimal strategy |
| Element of risk | About 2.56% of total money bet |
| Progressive side bet edge | About 26.46% on average |
How to play Caribbean Stud Poker
If you already know the basics of casino table games, Caribbean Stud is easy to pick up.
- Place the ante. You may also place the optional $1 progressive side bet.
- You and the dealer each get five cards. Yours are face up to you; the dealer shows one card and hides four. There is no drawing or discarding.
- Decide to fold or raise. Folding loses the ante and any side bet. Raising means betting exactly twice the ante, so a played hand has three units in action.
- The dealer reveals the hand. Standard poker rankings apply.
Payouts depend on whether the dealer qualifies with ace-king or better:
- Dealer does not qualify: the ante pays even money and the raise is returned as a push, whatever your hand.
- Dealer qualifies and you win: the ante pays even money and the raise pays according to the pay table below.
- Dealer qualifies and beats you: you lose the ante and the raise.
Standard Caribbean Stud pay table
| Hand | Raise pays |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | 100 to 1 |
| Straight flush | 50 to 1 |
| Four of a kind | 20 to 1 |
| Full house | 7 to 1 |
| Flush | 5 to 1 |
| Straight | 4 to 1 |
| Three of a kind | 3 to 1 |
| Two pair | 2 to 1 |
| One pair or high card | 1 to 1 |
The ante always pays 1 to 1. Some casinos, especially online, use weaker pay tables. Compare any table against this one before you play, because the house edge is already high with standard pays.
Caribbean Stud strategy
Perfect strategy accounts for every five-card hand against the dealer’s up card and gives a house edge of 5.224%. You can get very close with two simple rules:
- Always raise with a pair or better.
- Raise with ace-king-jack-8-3 or better, and fold anything weaker than that, including hands like A-K-10-x-x and A-Q-x-x-x.
Following those two rules gives a house edge of about 5.32%. A slightly more detailed strategy that looks at the dealer’s up card for ace-king hands brings it down to about 5.225%. Raising on any pair and folding everything else is simpler but costs more, at about 5.47%.
The progressive jackpot side bet
Most Caribbean Stud tables offer a $1 progressive side bet that pays on a flush or better. A royal flush wins 100% of the jackpot and a straight flush wins 10%, while smaller hands pay fixed amounts. A royal flush comes once in 649,740 hands and a straight flush about once in 72,193. The side bet’s house edge averages about 26.46%, so it is a long-shot bet for fun, not value. Because the bet is capped at $1, the casino’s risk stays limited however high the jackpot climbs.
Caribbean Stud vs. other poker table games
Caribbean Stud was one of the first popular poker-based table games, but newer games usually offer a lower house edge. If you like the format, compare it with Mississippi Stud, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
Playing Caribbean Stud online
Caribbean Stud is offered as a digital table game and, at some sites, as a live dealer game streamed from a studio with real cards. Online play is much faster than a live table, and with a 5.22% house edge more hands per hour means larger expected losses per hour. Set a budget and a pace before you start.
In the US, real money online casino games are legal only in a handful of states with licensed operators. Read our guide to US online casinos and live dealer games for where online play is legal. If you use a casino bonus, check how much Caribbean Stud wagers count toward the playthrough requirement; table games often count for less than slots. Our online casino bonus guide explains how wagering requirements work.
Origin of Caribbean Stud Poker
US Patent 4,836,553, titled “Poker game,” was granted on June 6, 1989 to inventors James P. Suttle and Daniel A. Jones and assigned to Caribbean Stud Enterprises. The patent later passed through several companies, including Progressive Games and IGT. The late poker author David Sklansky said he created a similar game called Casino Poker in 1982, before the patented version spread from the Caribbean.
Caribbean Stud Poker FAQ
What is the house edge in Caribbean Stud?
About 5.22% of the ante with optimal strategy and the standard pay table. Measured against all money bet, the element of risk is about 2.56%.
When should you raise in Caribbean Stud?
Raise with any pair or better and with ace-king-jack-8-3 or better. Fold weaker hands.
What happens if the dealer does not qualify?
Your ante wins even money and your raise is returned.
Is the progressive side bet worth it?
Not on value. Its house edge averages about 26%, far higher than the main game.
Please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.