A fun variation on the traditional game of poker we all know, Caribbean Stud® Poker is quite popular online. With easy-to-learn rules, it requires just an understanding of poker hand ranks, basic strategy, and something called the progressive side bet. First off, know that you are playing only against the dealer, not against the other players. To begin a hand of Caribbean Stud® Poker, you make your ante bet and are then dealt five cards face down. The dealer also receives five cards, four face down and one face up. Now you have to make a decision based on the strength of your hand and the single dealer card that you can see. You must either fold and lose your ante, or raise. For some guidance, see Caribbean Stud® Poker Strategy. If you like your hand, you must raise in order to stay in the game. To do so, you place a wager called the “back bet” that equals twice the initial ante amount. Only now does the dealer turn over his cards. He must have at least an Ace and a King in order to qualify for the hand. If he doesn’t, then the player wins even money on his ante bet. The player’s raise, however, is returned. If the Caribbean Stud® Poker dealer does indeed qualify with an Ace and a King and, in addition, beats the player’s hand, the player loses both the ante and raise bets. If the dealer qualifies but has a lesser hand than the player, the player wins even money on the ante bet as well as a payoff for the raise bet. See the Caribbean Stud® Poker Rules or the payoff table. Players can also take advantage of a side bet called the progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpot is fed by multiple Caribbean Stud® Poker games and keeps growing and growing until someone finally hits it. Sometimes, if no players hit the jackpot for a long while, this progressive jackpot can get quite large. This potential to win a lot of money in one fell swoop is what draws many players to Caribbean Stud® Poker. For one thing, no matter the size of the jackpot, players only need wager $1 per hand to be eligible. Even when the dealer fails to qualify, if you placed a side bet on the progressive jackpot, you still win. And if you’re somehow lucky enough to strike a royal flush, you win the entire jackpot! | 
