Jean Gabriel | January 4, 2023 | Updated on: January 17th, 2023
Best Real Money Caribbean Stud Poker Australia
Play Caribbean Stud Poker for Real Money at the best Casino sites in Australia! Caribbean Stud is a very popular and exciting Poker variant that is relatively simple to play and understand. This has helped it become one of the most played Poker games online. Players will be dealt five cards, and the goal is simple, beat the dealer’s hand. There are no additional draws or card exchanges.
All a player needs to do is decide if they think they have a good chance to win or not and Raise or Fold accordingly. Our Caribbean Stud Poker guide will take new players through the rules, payouts, winning strategies, and more. You’ll be playing Caribbean Stud Poker like a pro by the time you’re done with this page!
Play Caribbean Stud Poker at Top AU Casinos
Caribbean Stud Poker Basics
Many players often see Caribbean Stud as a cross between Poker and Blackjack. This creates a hybrid casino game that offers a fast pace and plenty of excitement. It was developed back in 1993 and has gone on to become very popular with players in Australia. Caribbean Stud Poker is ideal for Australian players who enjoy fast-paced casino games with simple rules, a low house edge, and fantastic payout potential.
Caribbean Stud Poker Rules
The rules of Caribbean Stud Poker are quite simple and easy to learn. This is part of the reason for the game’s popularity. The goal in Caribbean Stud Poker is to beat the dealer’s five-card Poker Hand. At the beginning of the round, players will need to place their initial Ante Bet. Don’t make it too big, though; we’ll get to why later. Once the player has placed their bet, they will be dealt five cards. All five will be face up. The dealer will then be dealt their five cards, with only one being face up and the other four face down.
Players then need to look at their hand, as well as the dealer’s visible card. From here, they decide if they want to keep playing this hand or give up. If the player’s hand is weak, they can fold, and the round will be over. They will just lose their Ante Bet. However, if the player thinks their hand will win, they will need to Raise. To Raise, they need to place a wager 2x their initial Ante Bet. This is why we said don’t make the Ante too big.
Once they have Raised, the dealer will reveal the rest of their hand and the strongest hand wins.
Qualifying Dealer Hand
One thing players need to keep in mind is that the Dealer’s hand needs to reach a certain level of strength to qualify. If the Dealer’s hand qualifies, this is where the escalating payout scheme comes into play. Most casinos require the dealer’s hand to have an Ace and King to qualify.
If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, players will receive a 1:1 payout on their initial Ante Bet. Their larger Raise bet is simply given back to them. Even if you get a Royal Flush, you will still only receive the 1:1 payout on your Ante if the dealer doesn’t qualify.
Caribbean Stud Poker Hand Rankings & Payouts
Caribbean Stud Poker uses traditional Poker hand rankings. Players familiar with the strength of various hands in Poker will be well versed in Caribbean Stud Poker. One of the unique features of Caribbean Stud is that there is an escalating payscale. Not only do stronger hands win, but they will win larger amounts.
As we mentioned earlier, for the escalating payouts to come into effect, the Dealer’s hand will need to meet the minimum strength qualification, which is normally an Ace and a King. Below is our table with the hand rankings, as well as the payouts in Caribbean Stud Poker.
| Hand | Description | Ante Payout | Raise Payout* |
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 from same suit | 1:1 | 100:1 |
| Straight Flush | Five cards in sequence, from same suit | 1:1 | 50:1 |
| 4 of a Kind | 4 cards of the same rank | 1:1 | 20:1 |
| Full House | Three of a Kind + a Pair | 1:1 | 7:1 |
| Flush | 5 Cards from same suit | 1:1 | 5:1 |
| Straight | 5 cards in sequence from different suits | 1:1 | 4:1 |
| 3 of a Kind | Three cards of same rank | 1:1 | 3:1 |
| Two Pair | Two pairs of cards (e.g. 4, 4, 7, 7, 9) | 1:1 | 2:1 |
| One Pair | One pair of cards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| High Card | Hand with highest-ranked card | 1:1 | 1:1 |
* Dealer’s Hand Must Qualify
How to Play Caribbean Stud for Real Money
Now that we have gone through the rules, hand rankings, and payouts, you should be far more familiar with Caribbean Stud Poker. However, if you have never played a round online, we have an easy-to-follow guide that will walk you through playing your first few hands.
- Step 1 – Once you have selected Caribbean Stud from the game list at your favourite casino, it is time to make your Ante Bet. Simply click on the required number of casino chips to place the appropriately sized bet.
- Step 2 – Once your bet is made, click on the deal button. You will now receive five cards. The dealer will also receive their five, but only one will be face up.
- Step 3 – Take some time to look at your hand and see how strong you think it is. Don’t forget to include looking at the dealer’s face-up card. If you decide your hand has little chance of winning, click fold to end the round. You will lose your Ante bet if you Fold.
- Step 4 – If you think you have a good chance of winning, you can click Raise. You will now need to place an additional bet equal to double your initial Ante Bet.
- Step 5 – Once you have placed your Raise bet, the dealer’s cards will be revealed. The game will then determine which hand is the strongest. If you win, you will receive a 1:1 payout on your Ante Bet. If the dealer’s hand qualifies, you will receive your escalating payout. If it does not, your Raise bet is returned to you.
Basic Strategy for Caribbean Stud Poker
While Caribbean Stud Poker is a relatively simple game, there is some strategy and skill involved in winning. Just like in Blackjack, there is an optimal decision to make, based on your hand versus the dealer’s visible card. By sticking to the best decision, you give yourself the best possible chance of walking away a winner. Below are some very basic strategy guidelines for Caribbean Stud, before we go more in-depth later on.
- Any time you hold a pair or higher, you should Raise
- Consider folding if you do not have an Ace and King
- If the dealer’s visible card matches any card in your hand, then you should Raise. The only exception is if the dealer’s up-card is an Ace.
No Side Bet
Some casino sites will offer a side bet in Caribbean Stud Poker. In most cases, this side bet will make players eligible to win a progressive jackpot. Placing the side bet will require a small additional bet, which makes this a tempting wager. However, the chances of winning are small, and the house edge is typically around 26% on these side bets.
While they require a relatively small bet, it will add up quickly, so we recommend avoiding the side bet. Stick to the Folding and Raising guidelines to have the best chance of walking away winning some money.
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Caribbean Stud Poker Strategy Chart
The best way to approach Caribbean Stud Poker is with a strategy chart, like the one below. This is the easiest way to know what the correct decision is. By using this chart, you can quickly see if you should Raise or Fold, depending on what the dealer’s face-up card is and the cards in your hand.
All you need to do is locate the dealer’s card in the top row and compare it to your hand in the left row. Where the two intersect, is what you should do. F stands for Fold and C stands for Call/Raise.
Caribbean Stud FAQs
Yes, you certainly can. Caribbean Stud Poker is fairly common and any of our recommended casino sites that offer the game will allow players to place Real Money wagers and win real money payouts.
Provided you have signed up at a trusted online casino, Caribbean Stud will be perfectly safe. Make sure you sign up at a licensed casino that uses games from reputable developers. To make things easier, sign up at any casino site we recommend. We’ve done all the hard work to make sure the casino is safe and fair.
The escalating payouts in Caribbean Stud are very enticing for players. In order to qualify for the escalating payout scale, the dealer’s hand needs to be at a certain level. In most cases, the dealer’s hand needs to have an Ace and King for players to be able to receive the escalating payouts on winning hands.
Players win by having a stronger five-card Poker hand than the dealer.
Yes, almost all top casino sites allow players to test out their game library for free. This will include trying out Caribbean Stud Poker.
In most cases, a game of Caribbean Stud Poker will use a single standard deck of 52 cards.
All casino games need luck to be on your side. However, Caribbean Stud Poker allows players to use their skill and previous experience to potentially win more often. Skilled players will likely fold at the right time and raise when it is the right move.