Caribbean Stud Poker Review

Caribbean Stud Poker Progressive game is a table poker game between the player and the house that has been designed and developed by RealTime Gaming (RTG), one of the world leaders in online casino software. It is a fast-moving game that should have some familiarity, even for those who have never played it.

Caribbean Stud Poker, in case you're not familiar with it, is played like a game of Five-Card Stud, with an element of blackjack thrown in. When we talk about some similarity with blackjack, we don't say that lightly. The game is played on a layout that bears a resemblance to blackjack. You are playing against the house, and not against other players, as is done in blackjack. There is a shoe and a discard rack, like blackjack. You are playing your hand while knowing only one of the dealer's cards, like it is in blackjack.

Of course, the difference with Caribbean Stud is that you are dealt five cards, while the dealer gives himself five cards as well. You get to see only one of his cards. The idea is to have a higher-ranked hand than the dealer has.

This game works relatively simply. You ante up and then click "Deal" to get the game rolling. You are dealt your hand, and see the dealer's "up-card," then have to make a decisions as to whether to bet or fold. If you decide to bet, an amount that is double your ante goes into your betting circle. Then the dealer flips up the rest of his cards and a determination is made as to who wins. If you click "Fold," the hand is over and you will lose your ante (the dealer does reveal his entire hand anyway). To make the game move more quickly, you can click on "Rebet" and the same bet you put out there on the last hand goes back into the game.

Similar to standard video poker hand, here are the rank of the hands in Caribbean Stud poker and what the combinations will pay you:

Royal Flush - 100-to-1
Straight Flush - 50-to-1
Four of a Kind - 20-to-1
Full House - 7-to-1
Flush - 5-to-1
Straight - 4-to-1
Three of a Kind - 3-to-1
Two Pair - 2-to-1
One Pair - Even Money
High Card - Even Money

For all of these combinations you will be paid off at those odds, in addition to your ante.

You can win a hand automatically in this game if the dealer does not have a pair, or does not have an Ace-King combination. Also, in the event of any ties, you will win if you have the high card. For example, if you and the dealer both have a straight, if you have highest card in your straight you will be the winner.

Now let's talk about the "progressive" part of the game. At the start of each round of play, you'll see a slot to the right that reads "Click for Progressive." If you click it (and this must happen before you click "Deal"), a dollar will go into the slot, and it makes you eligible for a progressive payout. You will win that payout for the following hands, and to the following degrees:

Royal Flush - 100%
Straight Flush - 10%
Four of a Kind - $500
Full House - $100
Flush - $75

In other words, if you get a Royal Flush, you win the entire casino progressive jackpot. At the top right of the interface, you can keep track of how big the jackpot is.

This particular game allows you to bet as little as $1 on a hand or as high as $250, which means that it can accommodate low rollers and high rollers equally well. You are at the controls as far as effects and pace of the game are concerned. That means you can turn the sounds off if you want, or turn them up as high as you want. You can also increase or decrease the speed at which the game is played, which means the speed with which the cards are dealt. The graphics in this game are phenomenal, thanks to RTG, and the cards and chips are not difficult at all to see, even if you aren't in full screen mode.

Even if you are a newcomer, once you get the hang of it, Caribbean Stud, in its progressive form, is really a tremendous game to play. You need to give it a try. Ante up!