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Table games

Caribbean Stud

Simple, sociable, and priced around the progressive jackpot everyone at the table is actually there for.

The jackpot. A royal flush at a full table is a story people tell for years.

19 hrs

on €50 · Good value

€2.61 an hour at €1 a go

How to play it well

The decisions that actually move the number, and the version of the game worth looking for.

  1. Raise on ace-king or better. Fold below it. Nearly as simple as Three Card Poker.
  2. The dealer needs ace-king to qualify. When the dealer misses, your raise pushes and only the ante pays.
  3. That rule is why the game is priced the way it is. Expect to win hands you are not fully paid for.
  4. The progressive side bet is a lottery ticket attached to a card game, and its value rises as the jackpot climbs.
  5. Playing for the jackpot? The side bet is the point. Playing for a session? Skip it.

Where that comes from

5.22% house edge
€1 a decision
50 decisions an hour
€2.61 an hour — so €50 lasts 19 hrs

How long €50 of play lasts on average, at €1 a hand, spin or roll. Bet more and it scales down by the same amount.

Return to player
94.78%
Volatility
High
Does skill change it?
Somewhat
Typical minimum
Around €1 an ante online

What the figure assumes

Expressed per ante, optimal strategy, standard pay table, dealer qualifies with ace-king or better.

Source: Standard published Caribbean Stud edge figures. Last checked 2026-09-21.

Worth seeking out the good version

The version to look for

€2.61

5.22% edge

The progressive jackpot side bet at typical jackpot levels

€12.50

25% edge

Same game, same stake: 19 hrs of play against 4 hr. Worth two minutes checking which table you are on.

Caribbean Stud is a straightforward game with an edge that is not. At 5.22% of the ante it is one of the more expensive table games in the building — roughly ten times blackjack.

The structure explains it. The dealer needs ace-king or better to qualify, and when the dealer fails to qualify your raise — the bigger of your two bets — pushes rather than wins. You are frequently right and paid nothing for it.

The progressive side bet attached to most tables is worse still, often 25% or more unless the jackpot has climbed a long way. It is the one bet on the table where the edge genuinely changes over time, and almost never in your favour.

Things worth knowing

  • The progressive side bet, typically 25% or worse
  • The raise pushing when the dealer fails to qualify
  • Playing more hands than the ace-king-jack rule allows

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