Based on the 19,933,230,517,200 possible five-card poker hands, a raise during the scenarios listed in the table will facilitate a particular Casino Advantage and a Risk Percentage. By executing a call wager only when these specific circumstances warrant, the player will decidedly lower the Casino Advantage and win more often. According to statistics, out of all possible poker hands, a player will always be dealt cards with a 5.22% Casino Advantage. However, it is the manner in which the cards are played, which determines whether the Casino Advantage fluctuates or not.
The Three Rule Strategy will keep the Casino Advantage at its lowest; However, it is a little more difficult to follow then the Matching Rank Strategy. Whichever strategy you prefer, the bottom line is to play it diligently and consistently. Remember, odds move up and down, so dont get discouraged on a loss or a string of losses (which is bound to happen). If you stick to your strategy through thick and thin, in the long run you will have a winning record.
Please note that the True Advantage in the chart below refers to the ratio of the total amount of money wagered to the amount of money lost. This number is more precise in determining an accurate Casino Advantage. The reason for this is because the regular Casino Advantage is correlated by the ratio of the amount of money lost to the amount of the original bet. However, in Caribbean Stud, more often than not, a player will wager more than the original bet.
By putting the additional wager into the equation, the result is a lower Casino Advantage, which is referred to as the True Advantage.
Strategy |
Casino Advantage |
True Advantege |
Three Rule Strategy |
5.225% |
2.554% |
Beacon Hand Strategy |
5.316% |
2.596% |
Matching Rank Strategy |
5.334% |
2.616% |
Raise on any or better Pair Strategy |
5.470% |
2.738 |
Raise on any ace/king or better Ace & Kind Strategy |
5.682% |
2.672% |
Playing blind (raise on everything) Blind Strategy |
16.607% |
5.536% |
Three Rule Strategy:
-Raise if the dealers exposed card is equal rank to any card in your hand ranked from Two thru Queen.
-Raise if the dealers exposed card is an Ace or Queen, and you are holding either a Queen or Jack.
-Raise if the dealers exposed card does not equal any card you are holding and is a lower rank than your fourth highest ranked card
Beacon Hand Strategy: Raise if you are holding a Three, Eight, Jack, King, Ace combination or better. Fold Otherwise.
Matching Rank Strategy: Raise if the dealer's exposed card is an equal rank to any of your cards.
Pair Strategy: Raise if you are holding a Pair - Do not consider the dealer's exposed card.
Ace & King Strategy: Raise if you are holding an Ace and a King. Do not consider the dealer's exposed card.
Blind Strategy: Raise on every single hand, regardless of the cards that are dealt.
If you ask most players if they're good at Caribbean Stud poker, most answer with a nod and an emphatic, "Of course! They are fun and very easy to play. Unfortunately, however, any game is easy to play. Playing, however, is very different from winning. To win, you have to play correctly, using the proper strategy and money management techniques that professionals have been preaching for decades. Those principles are no different if you play a difficult game like blackjack, or the more "straightforward" games like Caribbean. But unlike blackjack Caribbean poker apparent simplicity makes players an easy target for the casino.