How to Play Caribbean Beach Poker
If you like Caribbean Stud poker, then you will want to try out Caribbean Beach Poker. Caribbean Beach Poker is a fun variant to Caribbean Stud that you will find at many Australian Online Casino. The game is simple to learn and adds a drawing element that can help you win more often.
Let’s take a look at how to play this game along with some basic strategies on how to play the game.
How to Play Caribbean Beach Poker
If you’re familiar with how to play Caribbean Stud Poker, then you’ll pick up this game easily. For everyone else, Caribbean Beach Poker game plays similarly to Five-Card Stud poker. Before receiving cards, you will have to play an Ante bet. Once you Ante, you and the dealer will receive cards. You will only be able to see the first card of the dealer’s hand.
This is where you make your first decision. Caribbean Beach Poker adds a fun twist where you can opt to draw cards like you would in Video Poker. Click on cards you wish to keep to activate the Stop symbol. The game will automatically put a stop symbol on cards it recommends you hold. You can opt to disregard their suggestions by clicking on the card to remove the Stop.
If you decide to draw, it will cost you another Ante. In our examples, we Ante for $1 and each draw costs another $1. When you choose to draw, your cards will be traded automatically. Once you choose to draw or keep the cards you’re dealt, you move to your final decision of the hand.
Now you decide whether to play your hand or fold it. If you fold, the hand is over immediately. If you play, you will put a Raise bet worth 2x your Ante. In our example, that’s $2.
When you decide to Raise your hand, you move to showdown where the dealer’s cards are exposed.
Determining a Winner
At Showdown, hands are compared for a winner. This game requires that the dealer’s hand qualify in order to pay off any Raise bets. The dealer must has A-K high or better to qualify. When the dealer fails to qualify, your Raise bet is returned to you and the Ante is paid off 1 to 1.
When the dealer qualifies, the Ante is paid 1 to 1 and the Raise bet is paid according to the payout chart below:
- 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 or High Card – 1 to 1
Simple Strategy for Caribbean Beach Poker
When playing Caribbean Beach Poker, the primary difference in strategy will be whether you should draw. Normally, if you don’t have a hand of A-K-10 or higher, you would fold. In this game, if you do not have A-K-10 or higher, you should consider drawing. The game will automatically hold any face card or ace for you. We recommend holding an ace and at least one face card, preferably the King.
If you have multiple face cards without an ace, hold no more than two. The exception would be if you have an open-straight such as K-Q-J-10. In that case, you have 20 cards that can come and give you a potential winning hand.
Drawing is a solid option over automatically folding. If you draw and don’t improve, you can still fold. If you draw, score a winning hand, and the dealer fails to qualify, you do no worse than break even.
Next, consider draws when you make potential winners that can be improved. For example, you are dealt two pair or three of a kind. Invest the extra bet to try and improve to a higher payout.
This strategy is a bit higher variance than just playing straight Caribbean Stud strategy, but it will give you a greater chance to score a winning hand.
Caribbean Stud is available at Johnny Kash Casino, House of Pokies, and all online casinos offering Wazdan casino games.