| In
this style of poker, a favorite in the Caribbean and aboard cruise
ships, each player plays against the dealer and not against the
other players. In Caribbean Poker you place an ante, receive a hand,
and then decide whether or not you would like to bet. If you bet
and if the dealer's hand qualifies (contains and Ace/King combination
or better), your hand will be compared to the dealer's. If you win,
your payoff will be determined by the quality of your hand.
How
to Play
After you have
placed your ante you will be dealt 5 cards. The dealer will then
receive four cards face down and one card face up.
At this point,
you may either bet if you think you can win or surrender if you
feel that your hand is inadequate. If you bet, your bet will equal
twice your ante. If you surrender, you will lose your ante to the
dealer and the hand will end.
The dealer will
then reveal his cards, and one of two things will happen: he will
either qualify, or he will fail to qualify. If the dealer does not
have an Ace King combination or better in his hand, he will fail
to qualify. (In other words, the dealer must have at least a pair
if he does not have both an Ace and a King.)
If the dealer
does not qualify, your will receive a 1 to 1 payoff on your ante
and your bet will be returned to you. If the dealer does qualify,
his hand will then be compared to yours.
If the dealer's
hand beats yours, you will lose your ante and your bet. If the dealer's
hand and your hand are equal, no money will be exchanged. If your
hand beats the dealer's hand, you will win even money (1 to 1) on
your ante, plus a payoff on your bet based on the quality of your
hand (see below).
If the dealer
and you both have the same hand (for example you have one pair and
the dealer has one pair), then the winner is the one with the high
ranking cards. If the dealer has one pair, for example jack, jack,
ten, six and five and the player has one pair hand of jack, jack,
ten, eight and four, then the player wins.
Your original
ante and bet in addition to any winnings will be displayed as separate
piles of chips.
The hand rankings
in Caribbean poker are the standard poker rankings, listed from
lowest to highest below:
Hand
Rankings
Nothing -
A hand with five un-matching cards.
One Pair -
One pair of identically ranked cards.
Two Pairs
- Two groups of two cards showing the same number
(or picture).
Three of a
Kind - Three cards from different suits displaying the same number
or picture.
Straight -
Five cards in consecutive order, any combination of suits.
Flush - Five
cards of same suit.
|
