Top 5 Secrets about Caribbean Stud Poker

Not all games are equally popular. While some titles were played actively for decades, some releases came and went in a blaze of glory. Caribbean Stud Poker is one such example. When it first debuted in the late 1980s, it quickly became all the rage. You could not visit a brick-and-mortar casino without finding a few tables that carried this exciting poker game.

However, its success would inspire others to create new variants of poker. Eventually, it was dethroned by titles like Let It Ride, Three Card Poker and Mississipi Stud Poker. For a while, you had a tough time finding it anywhere. That is before it saw a resurgence among the online casino clientele! It has a long and storied history, so we are going to let you in on a few secrets surrounding Caribbean Stud Poker!

Who Invented It Is a Mystery

Despite spreading like wildfire at the height of its popularity, nobody is entirely sure where the original idea came from. There are many theories as to how this poker variant first came around. One story says that the passengers of the King International cruise ship played this game under a different name. It would eventually spread further, and receive its current name.

Another theory suggests that the original idea came from David Sklansky, a legendary poker player. He won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) three times. Back in 1982, Sklansky claims he had created a game called Casino Poker. In his version, one card was exposed instead of two, and there was no progressive jackpot. However, he was unable to patent his idea, and someone else took advantage of it.

Three Card Poker Was Inspired by Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker was incredibly widespread at the height of its popularity. If you frequented casinos, you probably tried your luck at playing it. One of these people was Derek Webb, who was aspiring to become a game creator. In an interview, he recalled how Caribbean Stud Poker was one of the big inspirations for him. He worked to create a title that could blend elements of that game with Let It Ride.

What he aimed to create was a faster-paced game with three-bet units. He designed it so it had a lower house advantage but creating bigger wins for the operator. After a bit of experimentation, he would create Three Card Poker! That release would go on to dominate the world of gambling. It remains popular in online circles as well!

It Is Incredibly Easy to Learn

Most new players are discouraged from poker, as it requires you to learn several things very quickly. Even when you do notice how the table works, you need to keep in mind things like strategy and bluffing. Caribbean Stud Poker very wisely circumvented the latter by making you play against a dealer. However, the title was designed in such a way you could very quickly get the hang of it.

If you start with one pair or better, you should always raise your bet. Meanwhile, if you have less than a dealer’s qualifying hand, you should fold. Following this strategy allows you to achieve a standard house edge of 5.224%.

You Fold Almost Half of Your Hands

Once you break things down into boring math, you find out that the optimal move around 47.77% of the time is to Fold. This ties back into the strategy we already mentioned. Sometimes the best move is to surrender early and hope the next round is better. While this works as a strategy, no player in the world will feel happy about it.

The showdown is half the fun of any poker, after all. No doubt, this was part of what contributed to Caribbean Stud Poker’s slow decline. When you have other online poker variants that offer more exciting gameplay, why would you not take them?

Not All Caribbean Stud Poker Games are the Same

You can very rarely find variants of Caribbean Stud Poker online! One of the most interesting ones we had the pleasure of covering while writing about Online Casino, Online Gambling & Variations was Oasis Poker.

Players are allowed to exchange cards before the raise fold decision. However, each card you exchange has to be paid. The rates for exchanging cards went as follows:

• 1 card – 1x
• 2 cards – 2x
• 3 cards – 3x
• 4 cards – 2x
• 5 cards – 1x

In case you exchanged all five cards, you were forced to raise.