Caribbean Stud Poker is a game that gives players a hint as they decide whether to fold or make a bet twice the size of their initial ante. The dealer turns one of his or her cards face up.
That’s important. The dealer’s up card is one of the things we consider in determining a strategy. There are a number of variations on Caribbean Strategy, all of which start with always betting when you have a pair or better, and betting with Ace-King when one of your other three cards matches the dealer’s up card. That leaves a house edge of 5.26 percent of the ante.
From there, strategies increase in complexity with diminishing returns. In the strategy I use, I start with the two basics, and also bet with Ace-King-Queen when my next highest card outranking the dealer’s up card, or with Ace-King-Queen or Ace-King-Jack when any of my five cards matches the dealer.
Some players don’t bother with any such strategy. I know I’ve seen players who bet every hand, and if you’ve played much Caribbean Stud, no doubt you’ve seen it too. An old friend named Jim told me about a player who was betting every hand, without even looking at his cards. When Jim said he couldn’t bring himself to do that, the other player responded, “Well, I guess I came here to GAMBLE.”
That gamble comes at a high cost. Betting every hand means action on A LOT of weak cards. The house edge soars to 16.6 percent of the ante.
To each his own, but that’s one gamble I wouldn’t take.
