Poker has become world famous lately, with televised championships and celebrity poker game shows. The games popularity, though, arcs back quite a bit farther than its TV ratings. Over the years many variants on the original poker game have been developed, including a few games that are not in reality poker anymore. Caribbean stud poker is one of these games. Despite the name, Caribbean stud poker is more closely affiliated with twenty-one than long-standing poker, in that the gamblers bet against the casino rather than the other players. The winning hands, are the traditional poker hands. There is little bluffing or different types of deceptiveness. In Caribbean stud poker, you are required to ante up just before the croupier declares "No further wagers." At that moment, both you and the casino and of course all of the different gamblers acquire five cards. Once you have looked at your hand and the bank’s initial card, you must either make a call bet or give up. The call wager’s value is equal to your original bet, which means that the risks will have increased two fold. Bowing out means that your bet goes instantly to the house. After the wager is the showdown. If the dealer doesn’t have ace/king or greater, your wager is given back, including a sum in accordance with the original bet. If the casino does have ace/king or greater, you win if your hand is greater than the dealer’s hand. The dealer pony’s up chips even with your original bet and controlled odds on your call bet. These odds are:
- Equal for a pair or high card
- 2-1 for 2 pairs
- 3-1 for three of a kind
- 4-1 for a straight
- five to one for a flush
- 7-1 for a full house
- 20-1 for a 4 of a kind
- 50-1 for a straight flush
- 100-1 for a royal flush