Caribbean stud poker pits your five cards one-on-one against the dealer's. There is no drawing: the five cards you are dealt are your hand.
There is only one decision to make. Looking at your hand and the one card the dealer shows, you call (play on) or fold (give up). Simple, yet reading that single dealer card gives the game its depth.
Poker hands
Hands higher in the list beat lower ones; within the same hand, higher cards win. The ace is the highest card, but it can also play low in the straight A-2-3-4-5.
Hand
Example
Royal flush
A♠K♠Q♠J♠10♠
Straight flush
8♥7♥6♥5♥4♥
Four of a kind
9♣9♦9♥9♠K♦
Full house
J♥J♣J♠6♦6♣
Flush
A♣10♣8♣5♣3♣
Straight
Q♦J♥10♣9♠8♦
Three of a kind
4♠4♥4♦A♣10♠
Two pair
K♠K♦7♣7♥2♦
One pair
10♣10♦A♠8♥4♣
High card
A♥K♣9♠6♦2♥
How a hand plays out
Ante: put chips on the ante.
The deal: you get five cards face down, the dealer gets five, and one of the dealer's cards is turned face up.
The decision: looking at your five cards and the dealer's one, either put twice your ante on "call" and play on, or fold and give up the ante.
Showdown: the dealer turns over the other four cards and settles with everyone who called.
The dealer's qualifying hand
The dealer "qualifies" with ace-king or better (an ace-king high hand, or a pair or better). If the dealer does not qualify, there is no contest: the ante is paid even money and the call is returned.
The dealer fails to qualify about 44% of the time. Calling with a strong hand only to collect the ante because the dealer did not qualify is the frustrating side of this game.
How the bets are settled
Ante
Call
Dealer does not qualify
1 to 1
push
You win
1 to 1
by your hand
Dealer wins
loses
loses
Tie
push
push
Fold
loses
—
The call pay table
When you beat a qualifying dealer, the call is paid according to your hand.
Winning hand
Call 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, ace-king high
1 to 1
For example: a $10 ante and a $20 call. Win with a flush and you collect $10 on the ante and $100 on the call (5 to 1), $110 in all.
Rules that differ between casinos
Progressive jackpot
Many casinos offer a side bet of about $1 placed before the deal. It pays prizes for a flush or better, and a royal flush wins the whole jackpot. This site's table does not have it.
Payout caps
Some casinos cap what the call can pay. However big your hand, anything above the cap is not paid.
Table limits
Ante: $10–$500
Call: twice the ante (up to $1,000)
Before you call, make sure you still have twice your ante in chips.