How to play Caribbean Poker
Caribbean Poker
At the beginning of the game the bet - "ante" is placed. Then the player and the dealer get five cards each. The players, having seen one of the dealer`s cards, have to decide, whether they choose "surrender" or "bet". The first possibility means winning of the dealer and the "ante" loss. If the player chooses to play, the bet is being increased by a double "ante". To win "ante" the dealer must have a King or an Ace, otherwise "ante" goes to the player. If the dealer has one of these cards, the hands are compared and the higher one wins. Read more about ranking of poker hands just below.
The Ranking of Poker Hands
- Five of a Kind - four cards of the same rank and a Joker, four Aces and a Joker is the highest hand,
- Royal Flush - five consecutive cards of the same suit from 10, to the Ace,
- Straight Flush - five consecutive cards of the same suit, which does not include an Ace,
- Four of a Kind - four cards of the same rank,
- Full House - three cards of the same rank plus a pair,
- Flush - five different cards of the same suit,
- Straight - five cards in a sequence (of different suits) (Ace can be the highest or the lowest card),
- Three of a Kind - three cards of the same rank,
- Two Pair - two pairs of cards of the same ranks,
- One Pair - two cards of the same rank,
- High Card - five cards of different suits and ranks.
How to play Caribbean Poker
So, when you know the ranking of poker hands, let's learn how to play Caribbean Poker. The majority of poker games requires raising the initial "ante" in order to start the game. The players get their cards, bet into the pot placed in the middle of the table and the game is being started. It is done in a clockwise turn. The first player must choose between "bet" and "check". The second option is to pass the turn to another player, who has to make the same decision. When all of the players decide to check, they show the cards and the player with the best hand wins.
The players have such options:
- fold - to pass,
- check - if no one raised the ante, the players can wait, no bets are being made, the decision about the play passes to the next player,
- call - placing the same bet as the one placed by the last player on the right,
- bet - to raise the ante for the first time,
- raise - to place higher bet than the previous player,
- pot - to raise the ante to the maximum that is to the value of the pot.
When all the cards are dealt and no one raises the ante, the cards are being checked. The winner gets the amount gathered in the pot.
Tips
Basic strategy
In order to get to know how to play Caribbean Poker, you are advised to memorize the following: The principal rule in Caribbean Poker is very simple. The ante should be raised when the player has the following hands:
- any pair
- Ace - King - Queen - Jack + any other card,
- Ace - King - Queen + any other two cards and the dealer`s card suits one of player`s card
- Ace - King - Jack + any other two cards and the dealer`s card suits one of player`s card
- Ace - King - 10 + any other two cards and the dealer`s card suits one of the player`s card
Advanced strategy
You should raise the ante, when:
- The dealer has the card from 2 to Queen and it suits one of the player`s cards
- You have a Queen or a Jack and the dealer has an Ace or a King
- You have a Queen and the dealer`s card doesn`t suit any of the players` cards and it is lower than the fourth (as far as its value is concerned) of the players` cards.
