Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud is the card game of choice for many

There are plenty of great card games to enjoy and it has to be said that poke is one of the hottest things on the internet these days. Yes, even hotter than the latest celebrity who is blowing up big time, the world has gone mad for online poker but there are some elements to poker that not everyone is too keen on. Winning at poker means playing the hand you have been dealt with but there is also an important element of playing your opponent and bluffing people. Some people are better at this than others and this can be something which prevents people from truly succeeding at poker. Something which may be of interest to these players is Caribbean Stud.

Caribbean Stud has rules that are very similar to 5 card stud poker but the game is played against the dealer. There are no other opponents to worry about and this means that there is no need to worry about bluffing or counteracting what an opponent can play. This reduces the pressure for some players which mean that this card game is a winner for a great number of folk.

The mystery of the origins of Caribbean Stud adds to the attraction

Even though Caribbean Stud is a relatively new game in the world of poker, especially with respect to other casino games, there is a great deal of ambiguity about its origins. This doesn’t affect the enjoyment that people can derive from playing the game but it is fair to say that players with an interest in the game would like to know where the game hailed from. A number of people have differing opinions on how the game originated but it is fair to say that casinos all over the world are very happy that it was invented. Casinos are always keen to bring in new ways to ensure players come to the table and this variation of poker caught on very quickly.

Well known gambler David Slansky has claimed the invented Caribbean Poker back in 1982 even though he called it Casino Poker. There were slightly different rules involved with the dealer being in charge of two hole cards, which is different from the current game where only one is revealed. There was no also notion of a progressive jackpot in the game that Slansky claimed to have invented either. The game resurfaced later in Aruba with a variation in the rules and a patent tying it to a poker player and a casino owner alongside the name, Caribbean Stud Poker.

A counter argument says that the game came to life on a cruise ship heading to Aruba where the cruise owner bought the rights for the game from a passenger. The game then found great popularity and every year, thousands of players flock to Aruba to play Caribbean Stud in the place that is considered its rightful home.

Caribbean Stud is a game that people wish to play

Regardless of its true origins, the Aruba link is very strong and it is a game that is very popular. Like most great casino games, the reason for the popularity lies in the fact that it is a simple game to play but one that can be extremely difficult to master and win!

Each Caribbean Stud players places an ante on a marked area on the table and all of these wagers have to be placed before the dealer states that there will be no more bets. There is a progressive jackpot feature in the game and every player has the chance to get involved. A player can indicate their intention to get involved in the progressive jackpot element by placing a chip into the slot on the table which will activate a light for their seat. The dealer and all of the players will then receive five cards, all of which will be presented face down. The dealer starts proceedings by turning over a card and then pushing it in the general direction of the players, which is the signal for the players to look at their own cards.

At this point, players will have the option to fold or play. If they fold, they will forfeit their ante but if they decide to bet, they need to place the bet (which is two times the amount of the ante) into the bet box. Once every player around the table has made their move, the dealer is able to reveal the hole cards. If the dealer has an Ace/King or higher they are able to play and this means that they will compare the cards that they hold to the cards that are being held by the players. If a player holds a card that beats the dealers qualifying hand, that player wins.

There are a number of major rules involved with the game:

• A player can only hold one hand at a time. It is not possible for a player to hold numerous hands at the table.
• If a player has decided to take part in the progressive element of the game, they are responsible for placing their wager and that their light has been activated.
• Players are not allowed to communicate with other players about their hand or the hand that is held by the dealer. Any violation of this rule will see a dead hand being the outcome and all of the wagers being forfeited.
• As always, the decision of the table is the final one.
• A player is required to keep all of their five cards in view of the dealer at all times.

These rules may sound confusing but once a player becomes used to the rules, Caribbean Stud becomes second nature and obviously the automated nature of online play makes it easier for a player to stick to these rules. There is no doubt that Caribbean Stud has caught the attention and interest of online casino players and this game is one that has soared in popularity in recent times. It may not be the game that you choose to play when you have your friends round looking a night of card action but when it comes to having fun in an online casino, Caribbean Stud can provide the solution you are looking for!