Poker has become world acclaimed lately, with televised tournaments and celebrity poker game shows. The games universal appeal, though, stretches back quite a bit further than its TV ratings. Over the years several variants on the earliest poker game have been created, including a few games that are not in reality poker anymore. Caribbean stud poker is one of these particular games. Regardless of the name, Caribbean stud poker is more closely affiliated with twenty-one than long-standing poker, in that the players bet against the bank instead of the other players. The succeeding hands, are the traditional poker hands. There is little bluffing or other kinds of bamboozlement. In Caribbean stud poker, you are expected to pay up before the croupier saying "No further wagers." At that moment, both you and the bank and of course all of the different gamblers are given 5 cards each. Once you have seen your hand and the bank’s initial card, you have to in turn make a call bet or surrender. The call bet’s value is akin to your original wager, which means that the risks will have doubled. Bowing out means that your wager goes instantaneously to the casino. After the bet is the showdown. If the bank does not have ace/king or greater, your bet is given back, including a sum on par with the initial wager. If the casino has a hand with ace/king or better, you succeed if your hand beats the bank’s hand. The house pays cash equal to your bet and fixed expectations on your call bet. These expectations are:
- Equal for a pair or high card
- 2-1 for two pairs
- three to one for 3 of a kind
- 4-1 for a straight
- five to one for a flush
- seven to one for a full house
- 20-1 for a 4 of a kind
- 50-1 for a straight flush
- 100-1 for a royal flush