Internet poker has become globally acclaimed lately, with televised championships and celebrity poker game shows. The games popularity, though, stretches back quite a bit further than its television ratings. Over the years several variations on the first poker game have been developed, including a handful of games that are not quite poker anymore. Caribbean stud poker is one of these games. Despite the name, Caribbean stud poker is most closely related to chemin de fer than old guard poker, in that the gamblers bet against the casino instead of each other. The succeeding hands, are the long-standing poker hands. There is little conniving or different kinds of concealment. In Caribbean stud poker, you are required to pay up just before the croupier broadcasting "No more bets." At that point, both you and the bank and of course all of the other gamblers are given 5 cards each. Once you have observed your hand and the dealer’s initial card, you must either make a call bet or give up. The call wager’s amount is akin to your original ante, which means that the stakes will have doubled. Surrendering means that your ante goes directly to the dealer. After the wager is the showdown. If the bank does not have ace/king or better, your wager is returned, with a figure in accordance with the ante. If the bank has a hand with ace/king or better, you succeed if your hand is greater than the bank’s hand. The casino pony’s up chips even with your ante and fixed expectations on your call wager. These odds are:
- Even for a pair or high card
- 2-1 for two pairs
- three to one for three of a kind
- 4-1 for a straight
- 5-1 for a flush
- seven to one for a full house
- 20-1 for a four of a kind
- 50-1 for a straight flush
- 100-1 for a royal flush