If you ask most players if they're good at Caribbean Stud, 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. Let's take a quick little test and see how well you know the strategy for Caribbean Stud.
Which of the following hands would you never make the call bet on in Caribbean Poker?
1. Player has A-K-10-4-2 (unsuited) with the dealer exposing an ace.
2. Player has Q-J-7-2-2 with the dealer exposing a 10.
3. Player has K-10-8-8-5 with the dealer exposing an 8.
If you answered number one, congratulations -you wrong, and you're player who thinks that, just because a game looks easy, it must be.
Common Mistakes
Folding on all pairs under 5.
Since the call bet is twice the amount of the ante, some players refuse to play low pairs. The result: even the weakest pair will beat the dealer 50.08% of the time.
Calling on an ace-king, but folding on a pair of twos.
This method of playing is based on the misguided notion that if they player doesnt have a pair, then neither does the dealer. Flat out, it's a bad move. As I've already shown a pair of twos will beat the dealer 50.08% of the time, while ace-king hands will fall within the range of 44% to 50.08%, depending on the strength of the remaining cards in the hand.
Playing Ace-Queen-X-X-X hands.
Inexperienced players call on this hand because under the right circumstances it can look powerful. For example, the hand A-Q-J-10-9, looks strong, but is in reality worthless. Since the only way this hand can win is for the dealer to have nothing, there is no good reason why this play should ever be made.
Betting all hands.
Some players routinely "bluff" the dealer, regardless of the strength of their hand. Since the dealer will have a qualifying hand 56% of the time, even a large bankroll cannot withstand the constant draw.
Now that you know what not to do, it's time to see exactly what you must to do.
Basic Strategy
Hand |
Dealer's Card |
Call Bet |
8's-A's |
Any |
Yes |
7's |
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 |
Yes |
6's |
6, 5, 4, 3, 2 |
Yes |
5's |
5, 4, 3, 2 |
Yes |
4's |
Any |
Yes |
3's |
Any |
Yes |
2's |
Any |
Yes |
A-K-Q-J-X |
Any |
Yes |
A-K-Q-X-X |
A, K, Q, X, X |
Dependent |
A-K-Q-J-X |
A, K, J, X, X |
Dependent |
A-K-Q-J-X |
A, K, 10, X, X |
Dependent |
X represents any unpaired, non-sequential, non-suited cards.
From this table you can see that a pair of 8's or higher has a statistical expectation for winning regardless of the dealer's exposed card. With 5's, 6's or 7's, however, the strength of the hand is directly related to that card. Since the dealer has a greater chance for exposing one of his paired cards players have a greater chance of winning when the dealer exposes a card of equal or lesser value then their pair. However, despite the dealer's card, you must still make the call bet on any pair.
Hands like A-K-Q-X-X, A-K-J-X-X, and A-K-10-X-X, are the weakest playable hands, with a very low win expectation. For these hands, the call bet is made only when the dealer's exposed card matches any card in your hand. Any other hand that you are dealt is considered garbage and should be folded.
You're now set with the optimal strategy for making the call bets and play Caribbean.