Online poker has become world famous lately, with televised competitions and celebrity poker game shows. The games popularity, though, arcs back quite a bit further than its TV ratings. Over the years several variants on the earliest poker game have been developed, including a handful of games that are not in fact poker anymore. Caribbean stud poker is one of these particular games. Regardless of the name, Caribbean stud poker is most closely affiliated with vingt-et-un than old guard poker, in that the players bet against the casino instead of the other players. The winning hands, are the long-standing poker hands. There is little bluffing or different types of boondoggle. In Caribbean stud poker, you are expected to ante up before the dealer declares "No further bets." At that moment, both you and the casino and of course all of the other gamblers acquire five cards each. Once you have looked at your hand and the casino’s first card, you must in turn make a call wager or accede. The call wager’s value is akin to your original ante, meaning that the risks will have increased two fold. Abandoning means that your wager goes instantly to the dealer. After the bet is the showdown. If the bank doesn’t have ace/king or greater, your bet is given back, plus a figure equal to the ante. If the house does have ace/king or greater, you win if your hand beats the dealer’s hand. The dealer pony’s up cash even with your initial bet and set expectations on your call bet. These odds are:
- Equal for a pair or high card
- two to one for 2 pairs
- 3-1 for three of a kind
- four to one for a straight
- 5-1 for a flush
- seven to one for a full house
- 20-1 for a 4 of a kind
- 50-1 for a straight flush
- one hundred to one for a royal flush