One of the great things about gaming at an online casino such as Jackpot Capital is that we can carry games that land-based casinos can’t carry because land-based casinos have space restrictions. Here we will talk about the three fantastic Caribbean Poker variations.
At Jackpot Capital, thousands of gamers (actually millions) can play the Caribbean Poker games at the same time while at a land-based casino, maybe two or three players can get a Caribbean Poker terminal.
What are the Three Caribbean Poker Variations?
Caribbean Poker is a very recent invention. The three variations are stud, draw, and hold’em. There are a few rules that govern all three variations:
- The gamer places an ante bet.
- At some point in the game, the gamer has to decide whether to continue or to fold. This moment varies from variation to variation.
- If the gamer chooses to continue, he or she has to add a second bet that is double the ante bet.
- The dealer has to qualify in order to win both bets. To qualify, the dealer needs a minimum hand. This also varies from variation to variation.
- The gamer cannot win both bets unless the dealer qualifies.
- If the gamer adds the second bet and the dealer does not qualify, the gamer wins the ante bet and the second bet is a push.
What is the Most Basic Strategy in Caribbean Poker?
Most analysts say that the player should fold in all variations if he or she does not have at least the dealer’s qualifying hand. Some analysts also admit that they are not entirely sure about that claim. So, let’s look at it.
Caribbean Poker started out as stud poker so let’s start with Caribbean Stud Poker.
First of all, gamers play Caribbean Stud Poker against the dealer only. If there is a table for Caribbean Stud at a land-based casino, the players will be playing only against the dealer. In this sense, Caribbean Stud is like blackjack. That is the only similarity between blackjack and Caribbean Stud.
The Gamer Has to Make a Crucial Decision with Very Little Information
You get five cards up and the dealer gets five cards with only one card showing. In Caribbean Stud, the dealer has to have at least an ace-king to qualify. Of course, a pair also qualifies, even a lowly pair of deuces.
Now we look at probabilities. The dealer will get a pair about 42% of the time. So will you. The dealer will have no pair about 50% of the time as will you. Now, if you don’t have a pair, no matter what card the dealer is showing she might have a pair. She will about 42% of the time.
So, if you don’t have a pair, and you call, you will lose 3x your ante about 42% of the time. If you fold in this situation, you will lose just your ante.
Sign Up Now!
How to Calculate for the Best Strategy
Let’s use 100 hands and your ante is $5. Over the course of 100 hands, if you raise without a pair, you will be betting a total of $1500. The dealer will get a pair 42% of the time which means that you will lose outright $630.
On the hands where the dealer doesn’t qualify, you will receive back $870 but none of this is profit. It is simply the house giving you back money you bet.
The bottom line, therefore, is to fold any hand in which you don’t have a pair, with one exception.
The Exception
If you also have an ace-king, the strategy is for you to call. That way you will get your money back if the dealer qualifies with an ace-king as well.
The Payout Scale is Graduated
This means that it grows as the winning hand gets better. Even a hand with two pairs will pay 2-1 and the payout range continues to grow until we reach the big payout for a very rare Royal Flush.
Caribbean Poker Also Has a Progressive Jackpot
You can win a portion of the progressive jackpot with somewhat lesser hands starting with a flush. Winning the progressive jackpot requires an extra bet. This might put some stress on your gaming budget so proceed with caution.
Caribbean Draw and Caribbean Hold’em
We went into a great deal of detail in our presentation on Caribbean Stud. Caribbean Draw and Caribbean Hold’em share most of the same points as in Caribbean Stud. However, the minimum hands that the dealer needs to qualify are different. In Caribbean Hold’em, the dealer needs at least a pair of fours to qualify. In Caribbean Draw, the dealer needs at least a pair of eights to qualify.
This makes figuring out the best strategy a lot more complicated. Because of the added complexity, game analysts still do not have a complete strategy for either Caribbean Hold’em or Caribbean Draw.
Caribbean Poker has been around for just about 20 years so that is why the best strategy has not yet been determined. That makes these Caribbean Poker variations both somewhat riskier and also quite a bit more thrilling.
Can We Arrive at a Working Strategy for Caribbean Draw Poker?
Players can draw up to three cards. So, which cards to discard and which cards to hold onto? The three-card limit of draws is a departure from video poker where you can get a fully new hand.
Since you have to add to your bet to receive new cards, we recommend proceeding with great caution. Four to a Royal Flush might be a strong hand to hold onto in video poker where to do so involves no extra bet but we think it’s a poor decision in Caribbean Draw where you do have to add double your original bet.
Some analysts say that in Caribbean Draw, you should never fold. The dealer qualifies about 52% of the time. Even when the dealer qualifies, you can win with as little as a pair of fives. The pay rate for a small win with a pair of fives is only 1-1 but it is a win.
We think that it is best to hold onto two high cards.
Caribbean Hold’em Strategy
The best strategy as of this moment is to call on all hands except the really poor hands where you have no clear path to a pair that betas the dealer nor to a straight or a flush. It is not a good idea to go for a flush at the cost of another bet that is double the ante bet to go for an inside straight or a flush.
Jackpot Capital Has about 300 Games
Caribbean Poker is a relative newcomer to the library of games here at Jackpot Capital. It was introduced a couple of decades ago in the Caribbean and has become very popular as an alternative to regular poker and video poker.
JOIN JACKPOT CAPITAL ONLINE CASINO NOW!
