Caribbean Poker - The Basics
The Object of the Game
Caribbean poker holds similarities to both blackjack and video poker.
The player plays against the dealer, independently of other players.
Your goal as the player is to beat the dealer's hand. The exciting
aspect of the game is that you can win big when you least expect it.
The international payoff standard for a royal flush is 100 to 1.
Some online casinos, like The Casino Lobby, have huge progressive
jackpots for a royal Flush!
The Rules
Caribbean poker is played with a deck of 52 cards. In order to
participate in the game, you must first place an ante bet. You are
then dealt a hand of five cards, all of them dealt as dark cards. The
dealer also receives five cards; four dark cards and one open card. In
Caribbean poker, no new cards are dealt. The player and the dealer
compare hands formed from their five original cards.
When you have looked at your cards and the dealer's open card, you
must decide whether to make a bet and challenge the dealer's hand or
to surrender. If you wish to challenge the dealer, you must place a
bet by pressing the BET button. The bet is always equal to twice the
ante. If you do not wish to challenge the dealer's hand, you must opt
to press SURRENDER and lose your ante.
When you receive a good hand, you naturally place a bet to challenge
the dealer. When the bet has been placed, the dealer reveals his
remaining four cards, and the hands are compared.
The Dealer Must Qualify
In Caribbean poker, the dealer's hand must contain the equivalent of
one ace and one king in order to qualify. If the dealer's hand does
not qualify, you receive 1 to 1 on your ante, and your bet is returned
to you without winnings.
If the dealer's hand does qualify with a value of at least one ace +
one king, the best hand wins. Your winning hand receives 1 to 1 on the
ante plus the winnings on your bet, which are calculated according to
the winnings table.
Push
When the dealer and the player receive poker hands of equal value
(i.e. a push game), both the ante and the bet are returned to the
player.
Example Winnings Table
| Hand |
Pays |
Card Specifications
|
| Nothing |
1 to 1 |
Five cards of different values. |
| One Pair |
1 to 1 |
Two cards of the same value. |
| Two Pairs |
2 to 1 |
Two sets of two cards of the same value. |
| Three of a Kind |
3 to 1 |
Three cards of the same value. |
| Straight |
4 to 1 |
Five cards in numerical sequence, but of different suits. |
| Flush |
5 to 1 |
Five cards of the same suit, of any value. |
| Full House |
7 to 1 |
One pair + three of a kind. |
| Four of a Kind |
20 to 1 |
Four cards of the same value. |
| Straight Flush |
50 to 1 |
Five cards in numeric sequence, and of the same suit. |
| Royal Flush |
200 to 1 |
Ace, king, queen, jack, and 10; all of the same suit. |
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