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Online Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy

 

There is a category of table games at online casinos that are based on poker hand rankings. Caribbean Stud Poker is the most popular of theses. It is a simple but exciting game which involves both luck and skill. Fortunately the skill lies in the single decision that you have to make. If you want higher returns in the long run then you have to master the strategy involved in this decision.

First you have to be aware of the game play. You start the online Caribbean Stud Poker game by placing the ante bet. You will be dealt a hand of five cards, all of them being face up. The dealer is dealt one card face up. At some online casinos the dealer is dealt five cards, but only one of them is face up. Based on the exposed cards you decide whether to fold or raise. If you fold then you lose the ante bet and the game ends. If you raise then you will have to place a second bet, which is twice the ante bet. The dealer’s balance cards are then exposed. The dealer must have an ace and a king or better hand to qualify. If the dealer fails to qualify you are paid even money on the ante bet but the second bet pushes. If the dealer qualifies the hands are compared using the usual poker hand rankings. If the dealer has the better hand, you lose both bets. If both hands are of the same rank, then both bets push. If you have the better hand you are paid even money on the ante bet and the second bet is paid according to your hand ranking as specified in the payout table.

The online Caribbean Stud Poker optimum strategy of when to fold and when to raise is as follows. If you do not have the dealer’s qualifying hand then you must fold. If you hold One Pairs or higher ranked hand then you must always raise. The Ace and King hand with no ranking is the complicated one that requires a bit of memorizing. In this case the dealer’s face up card is taken into account. You must raise in any of the following three conditions: the dealer’s card is a two through queen and matches one of your cards; the dealer’s card is an ace or king and you have a queen or jack in your hand; the dealer’s rank does not match any of your cards and you have a queen and the dealer’s card is less than your fourth highest card.

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