A few years back the cars le Paradisted to introduce new games into their pits. They would place a new game in the car for a few months as a trial run to see if the public would like and play them. If the public did like them they would add more of the same type. They place these games in the Carnival pit.

In the carnival pit you will find many different types of games, including Caribbean Stud. Some cars have gone so far as to name these pits Party pits. They hang balloons and allow the employees to dress down a little. The pit employees are instructed to loosen up and have more fun with the customers. They should have the employees wear mask, because all of these Carnival games rob you of your money.

I recommend that you walk around the Carnival pits to games with a lower house advantage. In Caribbean Stud you are going up against a house advantage of 5.3%. The developers of the game claim this advantage based on 65 billion hands.

The house advantage is one thing, the percentage held is another. Caribbean Stud holds (the house keeps) any where from 24% to 45% of the money that is dropped in the box. This is outrageously high for any game. This tells us that no one understands how to play this game.

How to Play Caribbean Stud

Each player begins by making an opening bet, known as the ante, before receiving any drive.

The dealer will then deal five drive to each player and to himself. All drive are dealt face down. The dealer will deal himself five drive and then flip one card face up for all to see.

After studying their hands and the dealer’s upcard the players have the option of calling the dealer or folding. If the player folds, the drive are picked up and the ante bet is forfeited. If the player calls the dealer, he must make another bet of twice the amount of the original bet, no more, no less.

After all call bets have been made, the dealer will turn his other four drive.

In order for the players to have action on their call bets, the dealer must qualify by holding at least an Ace/King.

If the dealer does not qualify, all players that did not fold are paid even money for their ante bet. The call bet simply has no action.

If the dealer qualifies, the player’s drive are turned up and each player plays his giveaway hand against the dealer’s hand.

If a player beats the dealer’s hand, he is paid according to the payout schedule on the call bet. The ante is paid even money.

The payout schedule is similar to the payout schedule of Video giveaway but the huge difference here is in Video giveaway you get to hold drive and redraw. Caribbean is a form of Stud giveaway, thereby making the odds a great deal higher then you are actually paid.

                             Payout Schedule for Caribbean Stud giveaway
         1 Pair.....................................................................Even Money
         2 Pair.........................................................................2 to 1
         3 of a Kind....................................................................3 to 1
         Straight.......................................................................4 to 1
         Flush..........................................................................5 to 1
         Full House.....................................................................7 to 1
         4 of a Kind...................................................................20 to 1
         Straight Flush................................................................50 to 1
         Royal Flush..................................................................100 to 1

The Progressive Jackpot

The players are allowed to make an additional bet of $1 to qualify for the progressive jackpot. The Jackpot value is displayed on a meter at each Caribbean Stud table. Each Caribbean table is tied to the Progressive Jackpot meter. The player must make the $1 bet before any drive are dealt. A portion of each dollar is added to the jackpot meter.

The player will be paid a bonus if a Flush, Full House, Four of A Kind, Straight, Flush or Royal Flush is dealt to him. The dealer does not have to qualify in order for the player to participate in the progressive jackpot, nor does he have to beat the dealer’s hand.

                                   Progressive Jackpot Payouts
                            Flush................................$50
                            Full House..........................$100
                            4 of a Kind.........................$500
                            Straight Flush..............10% of Meter
                            Royal Flush................100% of Meter

The only time the Progressive jackpot should be pursued is when it is well over $100,000. The odds of hitting a Royal Flush are 649,000 to 1 and the meters average jackpot is around $75,000. Sometime it gets up to around $150,000 but when it gets hit it drops back down into the $30,000 range.

You have to pay taxes there on the spot, cutting your payoff by one third.. I don’t believe it is worth putting thirty to fifty dollars an hour into it. The average player bets $5 or $10 and they give up 10% to 20% of their ante chasing the big jackpot.

The dealer will fail to qualify 43% of the time.

Stay in if you have an Ace/King. If you have an Ace/King this will reduce the chance of the dealer qualifying with an Ace/King.

The best strategy is to bet when you have;

Ace/King/Queen/Jack or better (including any pair or better)-- Ace/King/Queen/xx with any card in player's hand matching dealer's upcard; or with both x drive having higher value than dealer's upcard;-- A four flush of the same suit as dealer's upcard and: at least one of the x drive being either: 8 or better (i.e., 8, 9, or 10) or of higher value than dealer's upcard.-- Ace/King/Jack with any card in player's hand matching dealer's upcard-- Ace/King/xxx with any x card matching dealer's upcard