Do you love poker? Are you just a bit thrown off by the pressures of playing poker against strangers, some of whom are really good at reading their opponents? Jackpot Capital has a great solution to this dilemma: Caribbean Poker!
When you play Caribbean Poker, you don’t have to bluff the other players; you don’t have to decide if a bet against you is a bluff or the real deal. You don’t have to cultivate a poker face so smooth and inscrutable that even when you flop the nuts, no one can tell.
In Caribbean Poker, you play against the dealer. The dealer has no decisions to make; he or she follows the strict guidebook for dealers of Caribbean Poker. So, if you stay in a hand, there is nothing the dealer can do to weaken your position.
Caribbean Poker is a Child among Poker Variations
Caribbean Poker is called that because it was developed in the Caribbean just about 40 years ago by a poker pro called David Sklansky. Caribbean Poker started out with just a stud poker variation. Since then, Caribbean Draw and Hold’em have been added to the repertoire.
All three variations are great fun to play.
Caribbean Poker Rules are Quite Simple
There are different rules for each of the three Caribbean Poker variations, but they all follow a set of standard rules.
- The dealer deals cards to every player.
- The player has to decide if he or she will call or fold.
- If the player folds, they lose the ante bet.
- If they decide to call, they have to add another bet that is twice the size of the ante bet.
- The dealer has to “qualify” in order to win the hand if the player calls.
- The dealer automatically wins if the player folds.
- If the player calls and the dealer does not qualify, the call bet is a push and the player wins the ante bet.
- If the player calls and the dealer qualifies, then the better hand wins.
- There is also a side bet for a progressive jackpot.
- You can win higher sums if you get better hands, and you can win part of the progressive jackpot with high hands.
Caribbean Stud
Each player gets five cards, and one of the dealer’s cards is up. Now, based on your own hand and the dealer’s up card, you have to decide to call or fold.
Caribbean Hold’em
You get to see your two hole cards and the flop before you have to decide to call or fold. The dealer’s hole cards are also hidden.
Caribbean Draw
Both you and the dealer get five cards, and you cannot see any of the dealer’s cards. You can draw up to two cards, and the dealer can draw only one card.
What is the Best Strategy in Caribbean Poker?
The best strategy depends on the variation you are playing. The dealer qualifies in Caribbean Stud with an Ace-king. He qualifies in Hold’em with a pair of fours. Finally, he qualifies in Draw with a pair of eights.
In order to fully understand the strategy in Caribbean Poker, we have to fully understand that a call bet is double the ante bet. To call with a weak hand is considered a poor decision. It is true that the dealer might not qualify, but if she does qualify, a call bet with a poor hand could cause you to lose three times the ante: the ante and the call bet.
Preserving your call bets for when you have a good chance to win both bets is considered the best strategy.
Caribbean Stud Strategy
The dealer qualifies with an ace-king. So, if you have any pair, you should call. Obviously, the higher the pair, the better.
What should you do if you also have an ace-king or an ace high or king high hand? Call if the dealer’s up card is not an ace or a king, and it matches a card in your hand. This makes it less likely that the dealer will pair up the up card.
You should raise with an ace high or king high hand if you also have a queen. You should raise even if the dealer has an ace or king showing. You should fold anything else. It is better to lose the ante than to call with a weak hand and lose the call bet as well.
Caribbean Hold’em Strategy
In this variation, you make hands from seven cards, and your decision to call or fold comes after you have seen five cards. You should fold after the flop only if you have such a bad hand that it risks too much to call.
Some analysts have calculated that in this variation, you should call at least 80% of the time. Keep in mind that a horrible hand after five cards is not common. Twenty percent is also not rare.
Caribbean Draw Strategy
The dealer needs a pair of eights. If you have any pair, you should call. The dealer will fail to qualify more often than not, so too much passive folding equals throwing money away.
So, the basic strategy is to call on every hand!
Now, you have to decide which cards to discard. You should obviously hold any pat hand. If you have three of a kind, you discard the other two cards. If you have two pairs, you discard the odd card out. If you have any pair, you keep the pair and the highest kicker. If you don’t have a pair, keep the three highest cards and discard the lowest cards.
The Pay Tables in Caribbean Poker
If the dealer qualifies and you win, you win based on what is called the Premium Pay Table.
This pay table is the same for Stud and Draw.
Royal Flush 100-1
Straight Flush 50-1
Four of a kind 20-1
Full House 7-1
Flush 5-1
Straight 4-1
Three of a Kind 3-1
Two pair 2-1
Pair 1-1
The pay table is different for Hold’em.
Royal Flush 100-1
Straight Flush 20-1
Four of a Kind 10-1
Full House 3-1
Flush 2-1
All other hands 1-1
A Side Bet Can Mean High Payouts
This is a bet for the progressive jackpot. All three Caribbean Poker variations contribute to the progressive jackpot. You win the entire jackpot with a Royal Flush. A straight flush wins 10% of the jackpot. Four of a Kind wins $500, and a full house wins $100. A flush wins $75.
Jackpot Capital is Proud to Carry Caribbean Poker
A lot of gamers love to play Caribbean Poker. Still, it is only three of the more than 400 games we offer here at Jackpot Capital.
In addition to all of our games, gamers get deposit bonus offers and other promotions, and the wonderful fun of playing all of our games over time.