Online poker has become world famous as of late, with televised tournaments and celebrity poker game events. Its universal appeal, though, arcs back in reality a bit farther than its television ratings. Over the years several variations on the first poker game have been created, including a handful of games that are not quite poker anymore. Caribbean stud poker is one of these particular games. Regardless of the name, Caribbean stud poker is most closely related to vingt-et-un than traditional poker, in that the gamblers wager against the casino rather than the other players. The succeeding hands, are the established poker hands. There is no conniving or other types of concealment. In Caribbean stud poker, you are expected to pay up before the dealer declares "No further bets." At that point, both you and the bank and of course all of the other players attain 5 cards. After you have seen your hand and the bank’s initial card, you must in turn make a call wager or surrender. The call bet’s amount is akin to your original ante, indicating that the risks will have increased two fold. Bowing out means that your ante goes immediately to the casino. After the bet comes the showdown. If the bank doesn’t have ace/king or greater, your wager is returned, plus a figure equal to the ante. If the casino has a hand with ace/king or greater, you win if your hand is greater than the dealer’s hand. The casino pony’s up cash equal to your ante and set expectations 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
- four to one for a straight
- 5-1 for a flush
- 7-1 for a full house
- twenty to one for a 4 of a kind
- fifty to one for a straight flush
- one hundred to one for a royal flush