Enjoying Caribbean Stud Poker - Part 3 of 4

Up to this point we've talked about Caribbean Stud Poker's layout basics, typical hand play and some other entry-level information. Today, we'll continue the discussion by venturing into payouts. After all, that's the best part, right? We'll start with Caribbean Stud Poker hand payouts and finish with a segment about progressive payouts. Let's get started.

As you know from our previous segment, the dealer must qualify for you to be paid on your raise wagers. Antes are always paid even money. Here's a handy listing of what raise wagers are paid when the dealer's hand rank is an Ace-King or better.

One Pair: paid even money. Ex: $10 is paid $10.
Two Pair: paid 2x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $20.
Three of a Kind: paid 3x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $30.
Straight: paid 4x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $40.
Flush: paid 5x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $50.
Full House: paid 7x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $70.
Four of a Kind: paid 20x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $200.
Straight Flush: paid 50x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $500.
Royal Flush: paid 100x your raise. Ex: $10 is paid $1,000.

Here's an important note. These payouts are not globally applied. Each casino may have different payouts. For instance, I once saw an online casino that paid 200x on the Royal Flush and 6x on a Full House. Shop around. That's vital for the progressives.

The real money in Caribbean Stud Poker is won via the progressives. These payouts vary from casino to casino, so shop around to find the best deal. Some will pay less on a Royal Flush, but a lot more on a Four of a Kind. Also keep in mind that these payouts are always made regardless of the dealer's hand. It's $1 per hand to get locked into the progressives.

Here's an example setup for a Caribbean Stud Poker progressive:

Flush: Payout of $50 - $100.
Full House: Payout of $75 - $250.
Four of a Kind: Payout of $100 - $500 (see, shop around).
Straight Flush: 10% of the current progressive jackpot amount. Ex: progressive is $50,000 so the payout would be $5,000.
Royal Flush: The big boy. It pays the whole progressive.

If you read any decent book on casino gambling, it will probably tell you that the progressive is a bad wager. But, they obviously haven't been sitting at a Caribbean Stud Table and received a Four of a Kind only to see the dealer not qualify. To me, it's a small price to pay for insurance.

In our last part of this series, we'll talk about hand rankings and perhaps look at some strategy for winning.