Playing stud poker is very different from any other type of poker. If you have played poker online then you have very likely played a form of Texas Hold em. Stud poker is different, because you only have the cards you are dealt and do not have the opportunity to replace 'bad card.' This makes the game very fast and easy to play. It is a very popular game in casinos, and it eliminates any bluffing or psychological tactics.

The whole game is centred around the statistics and the probabilities from the draw, and the betting the player does. The house has an edge of 5.2% if the player plays very well – most casinos offer a progressive jackpot to make the game more enticing. 5.2% is a better set of odds than most slot games, and is moderate for the table games. Some video poker games also add in extra bonuses to make the game more interesting but the premise is the same.

Betting in Caribbean Stud poker

The first round of betting in Caribbean Stud Poker is the ante which is placed before any cards are dealt. Once the ante is placed then the player and the dealer receives their 5 cards which they keep for the game. The dealer has one card face up. It is worth noting that the dealer must fold if they do not get a king or better in their draw.

The player goes first and has the opportunity to fold first. The player then can bet given they have seen their hand. Three scenarios can then occur. If the dealer folds, then the player receives the ante and the bet back. The player can beat the dealers hand in which case the player wins the bet and the ante.

The dealer can win the hand in which case the player uses his bet and the ante. The house edge comes from the player having to make the decision to go first. The progressive jackpot is calculated separately depending on whether the jackpot meter has been triggered.

Tactics in Caribbean Stud Poker

The best tactics to make sure that your chances of winning are optimum are to fold if you receive anything less than a king. As a betting strategy, you should never fold any pair, or higher scoring hand rank that you are dealt and always fold anything less than A-K.

The strategy of dictating what you do between an ace and a king in your draw really makes the difference in the house edge. If the dealer shows an ace or a king as their face up card, the player should raise Ace King Queen and Ace King Jack, as you have blockers to their pairs and a probability of the best Ace King hand.

Using this strategy, then the house edge can be reduced significantly, and you stand a chance of walking away with more money. Some online casinos have extra bonus rounds to increase the complexity, but the odds are always going to be with the house.