Caribbean Stud: Payouts and Jackpots
September 26, 2011
Caribbean Stud is a game that has three different possible wagers you can be paid out on per play; your ante bet, the bet itself, and a progressive jackpot wager that you make to the side of the other bets. The payout for the ante always stays flat at 1:1; if you win or the dealer doesn’t qualify, you’re paid even money on the ante.
The bet is a little more complicated than in most casino games. If the dealer beats your hand, you lose the bet no matter what your hand is; you can have quad sixes, and if the dealer turns over a straight flush, you get NOTHING for your bet! It can be a cruel little twist in the payout structure of the game. If you have a qualifying hand and it beats the dealer, you’re paid on a scale for your bet wager that ranges from even money for a pair or less to 100:1 on a royal flush!
You are also allowed to take a side bet on a progressive jackpot, usually located to the side of the layout in a little slot with a light attached to it. You place your $1 wager in the slot, and it lights up to signify that you’re taking part in the progressive jackpot for the current hand. For the progressive payouts, the minimum qualifying hand is a flush (which pays 10:1) all the way to the progressive jackpot, which is hit if you make a royal flush.
Straight flushes usually get a small percentage of the jackpot as well; 10% is the usual standard for most casinos. While the jackpots at most of these games look enticing, remember; a progressive jackpot has to hit a certain marker to be worth playing, and those markers are generally astronomically high; avoid the progressive jackpots unless you want to sink a good chunk of your edge down a slot.