Caribbean Stud Poker is a table game at casinos played with cards, where you compete with the dealer or possibly with other players, depending on the chosen format.
Playing Caribbean Stud Poker in New Zealand is possible at both online and land-based casinos.
The game at brick-and-mortar casinos is responsibly managed by the casino staff and explained before the actual game starts.
If you want to play it at an online casino, you can choose the online versions of casinos like SkyCity Online Casino, Christchurch Online Casino, and others as well.
Kiwis love playing this game, and last year, an Auckland player won NZ$ 1.1 million Progressive Jackpot playing Caribbean Stud Poker at SkyCity Casino.
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This player is a woman who grew a NZ$35 bet into winning over a million at the SkyCity casino. She wins one of the largest-ever progressive jackpot winnings offered at a New Zealand casino. Even more impressive is that she hit the jackpot after placing a modest bet on one hand of Caribbean Stud Poker only and was dealt a hand, which is extremely rare.
The winner hit the progressive jackpot with a Royal Flush by placing only a single hand of Caribbean Stud poker. She won the entire jackpot and was handed a cheque for NZ$1,108,585.60.
Caribbean Stud Poker is thus a pretty cool game of poker. It is established based on traditional “stud” poker, in which only one hand consisting of five cards is dealt, with players who do not play against each other but against the house.
The player aims to make a five-card poker hand higher than the dealer’s. Players can also make a side bet to compete for a progressive jackpot. If they are dealt a Royal Flush hand, the highest hand in the Caribbean Stud Poker game, they are granted the entire amount of the progressive jackpot.
Rules to Play Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker follows the same rules and gameplay as other poker games, like 5 Stud Poker.
However, in the online versions, the game is played with the dealer only, while the live version can have a multiplayer option.
The rules are basic and not too difficult. You can find some of the important rules below.
- The first thing that needs to be remembered is that players need to place an initial bet called the “ante bet” before the cards are even dealt. This bet is called a “Blind Bet.”
- Next is receiving cards; each player and the dealer receive five cards face down.
- Only the dealer reveals one of their cards face up.
- The decision needs to be made whether to “fold” or to “call.”
- The dealer will only qualify if they have a hand of Ace-King or better.
- If the dealer qualifies, then only the players’ cards will be revealed.
- If the dealer does not qualify, then all the ante and call bets are returned to the player.
What we advise before you begin to play on mobile
- Always play at reputed online casinos in NZ
- Grab bonus offers if playing for real money
- Play for free first to be familiar with the game
- When ready to play, first examine the table layout.
- You’ll see a set of clickable chip icons in the corner of the screen, usually beginning with $1 chips and climbing in increments through $100. These will be used to place your wagers.
- Two betting circles are lined in the centre of the table, with one labelled Ante and the other labelled Raise. Your chips will be placed in the appropriate betting circles during each hand.
- Also, you’ll see an array of buttons in the lower part of the screen, typically labelled Fold, Raise, and Deal. These will be used to control the game action during each hand.
- Finally, you’ll notice a side button labelled Progressive, where you can place an optional wager to give yourself a shot at your online casino’s progressive jackpot prize pool.
How To Begin Playing Caribbean Stud Poker?
To begin a hand of Caribbean Stud Poker, you’ll need to place a mandatory ante bet, for example, $5. Once you’ve anted up, click deal to begin the hand.
The dealer will distribute five cards face up in your direction before dealing with five cards. The dealer’s hand will have four cards face down at the beginning, with one card exposed to give players the partial information on which the game hinges.
The objective of Caribbean Stud Poker is to beat the dealer’s five-card hand with your own, according to the standard poker hand hierarchy. That means one pair beats a high card, two pairs beat one pair, and so on.
Caribbean Stud Poker might seem boring because you cannot improve your five-card holding. However, the game hinges on deciding whether to raise the stakes or fold out.
Right Decision at the Right Time
By comparing your five-card hand to the dealer’s lone exposed card, players can decide whether or not to up the stakes by raising or leaving the ante bet as their only risk. In other words, after you’ve anted for $5, and assessed the strength of your five cards relative to the dealer’s upcard, you can raise and place an additional wager.
The raise bet will always equal double the amount of your original ante bet, so with $5 already in the pot, raising will cost you $10 more.
You can also fold or forfeit your cards, the ante bet, and any side bets in play.
After you’ve made the game’s only decision, raising or folding, the dealer will reveal their four down cards and complete their five-card hand. Your hand is compared with the dealer’s, and the highest hand is declared the winner.
However, one thing to remember about the dealer’s hand is that it must reach a certain level of strength to qualify for a win.
The dealer must make a hand of ace-king high or better in Caribbean Stud Poker to qualify. To visualize dealer qualification, the worst qualifying hand a dealer can hold is A K 2 3 4, while the best non-qualifying handstands are at A Q J 10 9.
When the dealer fails to produce a qualifying hand, your ante bet will be paid out at even money, while your raise bet will be returned as a push. When the dealer does qualify and beats your hand, you’ll lose both the ante bet and the raise bet.
On the other hand, when the dealer does qualify, and your five cards outrank theirs, the real fun of Caribbean Stud Poker begins. By beating a qualifying dealer hand, you’ll earn an even money payout on your ante bet and an additional payout on your raise bet.
Hand Rankings and Payouts
| Hand rank | Description | Ante | Raise odds |
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit | 1 to 1 | 100 to 1 |
| Straight Flush | 5 cards of the same suit in sequence | 1 to 1 | 50 to 1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 4 cards of the same rank | 1 to 1 | 20 to 1 |
| Full House | 3 of a Kind, plus a pair | 1 to 1 | 7 to 1 |
| Flush | 5 cards of the same suit | 1 to 1 | 5 to 1 |
| Straight | 5 cards in sequence, mixed suits | 1 to 1 | 3 to 1 |
| 3 of a Kind | 3 cards of the same rank | 1 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| Two pair | 2 pairs of different rank | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
| One pair | 1 pair (2 cards) of the same rank | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
| High card | 3 cards of the same rank | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
Evolution Gaming, Apricot (Microgaming), Betsoft, Playtech, and many other gaming providers power Caribbean Stud Poker at Mobile Casinos. You can click here to play this poker game now on your mobile, be it iOS or Android.
Caribbean Stud Poker Gameplay
Caribbean Stud Poker is a variation of Texas Hold’em, where the goal is to beat the dealer’s hand by getting the best possible five-card hand. The game uses a standard 52-card deck without jokers.
Players start by placing an Ante Bet and are then dealt five face-up cards, while the dealer receives one face-up card and four face-down cards.
Players can then choose to either continue by placing a Play Bet (equal to or greater than the Ante Bet) or fold.
Additionally, the optional 5+1 Bonus Bet side bet pays out if the player’s five cards plus the dealer’s first face-up card form a hand of Three of a Kind or better.
The dealer must have at least an Ace-King to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, the player wins the Ante Bet, and the Play Bet is returned.
Results Judgement
- If the player has a better hand than the dealer, they win both the Ante and Play Bets.
- If the dealer’s hand is better, the player loses both bets.
- In case of a tie, the player’s bet is returned.
Outcomes, Dealer Qualification, and Payouts
In Caribbean Stud Poker, the outcome is determined by comparing the player’s and dealer’s hands. The dealer must have at least an Ace and a King to qualify. The possible outcomes are as follows:
- Dealer does not qualify: Player wins the Ante Bet, and Play Bet is returned (Push).
- The dealer qualifies, and the player wins: Both Ante and Play Bets pay 1:1.
- Dealer qualifies, and the player loses: Both bets are lost.
- The dealer qualifies, and there is a tie: Both bets are returned (Push).
- Player folds: Both bets are lost.
The RTP of the Caribbean Stud Poker is 96.30%.
Where To Play Caribbean Stud Poker?
There are ways to play Caribbean Stud Poker if you are in New Zealand. The country offers a rich selection of casino games, both online and in land-based venues.
Casinos like SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Queenstown, Grand Casino Dunedin, and Christchurch Casino have tables for Caribbean Stud Poker, assisted by friendly casino staff.
This game is also available online at 888 Casino, Wheelz Casino, and Emu Casino (as a live casino game). We searched for it in these casinos and found it in their interface.
However, we couldn’t find Caribbean Stud Poker in casinos operated by Baytree Casinos.
In short, this version of poker is not available at casinos like Jackpot City, Gaming Club Casino, Spin Casino, and their sister sites.
Another reputable casino group, Casino Rewards, offers this game in its Live section.
Generally, all Casino Rewards casinos have three live sections: Live Casino, Pragmatic Play Casino, and Live Casino 2.
Caribbean Stud Poker is in “Live Section 2” under the “Poker” category.
Editor’s Verdict
A player at SkyCity Casino recently won, turning a $35 bet into NZ$1.1 million. This mobile-friendly card game is loved by New Zealanders and offers a unique gaming experience.
Players should pick trustworthy online casinos, use real money bonuses, and practice for free. The game begins with an ante bet, and players decide whether to raise or fold based on their hand’s strength against the dealer’s card.
With hand rankings like a Royal Flush at 100 to 1, Caribbean Stud Poker on mobile offers excitement and jackpot chances. Enjoy responsibly and aim for that Royal Flush jackpot!
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