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LIVE DEALER BACCARAT
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If you have been looking for that casino game that has a strategy you can easily learn and perfect then Caribbean Stud Poker is the game for you. This table game is based on poker and each player plays against the dealer, not anyone else at the table. Every player plays the dealer, that’s it. You can win big payoffs with this game, too, so it is worth learning the strategy and implementing it to see how well you can do.
House Edge
The following table shows the house edge using various strategies. The last three strategies on the table are by far the easiest to use and perfect, however the perfect strategy has the lowest house edge. It’s almost the same as the basic strategy so while you are perfecting the other this is a good one to use.
Variations
With this game it is typical that the royal flush pays 100 to 1. However, there are some casinos that may pay as much as 250 to 1. When this happens the house edge is reduced somewhat. The pay tables used at online casinos is usually different than brick and mortar casinos and it is not uncommon for the house edge to be reduced significantly closer to 5%. This usually occurs when Microgaming software is used.
Progressive Jackpot Side Bets
The progressive jackpot side bet sounds like a good idea and most players feel they should make the $1 bet to potentially win the progressive pot should they have an awesome hand. However, the house edge for the progressive pot is unusually high and this is not a sound bet to make. The only time it would make sense to make this bet is if the pot is incredibly high, which would lower the house’s edge. If that’s not the case then do not make this bet. If you have been religiously making the side bet in the hopes of hitting the progressive pot, stop.
That is, unless you know when making this bet is a good idea. If the meter has skyrocketed and has reached a positive expectation wager range then you should place the bet. It might sound confusing, but mathematically there are times you should make the bet and times you shouldn’t. The following table will show when it is a good idea and when it is not.
You can see where the breakeven point is for a $1 side bet in row two. However, you must make a base bet in order to make the side bet, so row three shows you where the breakeven point would be in the progressive pot to make it worthwhile to make that $1 side bet. Knowing this information will help you make a good decision when gambling.
Many times, knowing the math of winning and when the pot is at a breakeven point is the best way to win big, or at least avoid losing big when gambling. Remember, though, that most meters aren’t going to be over $300,000. In rare instances it may reach as high as $310,000. Because of this the progressive pot is not going to give any player the advantage. Know the math, know your odds, and then make the decision on how to bet.
Strategy
When it comes to strategy and Caribbean Stud Poker it is not that difficult to master one. The two strategies you should always know and abide by will help you in almost 94% of all hands. That’s pretty good odds and definitely worth learning and knowing if you plan on being a Caribbean Stud Poker player.
- Without an Ace or King, ALWAYS fold.
- With a pair or higher, ALWAYS raise.
When you follow these two strategies every time you have a significantly better chance of cutting your losses. Keep this in mind and you will do a much better job.
Optimal Strategy
Playing with the Optimal Strategy results in a house edge of 5.23%. However, the table you would need to memorize in order to play the optimal strategy perfectly includes thousands of blocks of information. This is incredibly difficult to do especially when the basic strategy has a similar house edge of 5.24% and it can be memorized in a matter of minutes.
Basic Strategy
The following strategies should be used when playing this game. They are easy to learn and always should be implemented. Take your time learning them so they are like second nature to you.
Raise on an Ace or a King in the following situations:
- If the dealer’s up card matches one of your cards and is a queen or less.
- If you have a queen or jack and the dealer’s up card is an ace or king.
- If the dealer’s up card 1) does not match any of your cards, 2)Your 4th highest card is higher than the dealer’s up card, and 3) if you have a queen.
Remember, when the dealer’s up card matches one of your cards that lowers the probability of him matching a second card the same. This makes it much harder to beat an Ace or King you have in your hand, which increases your odds of winning. This strategy is practically the same as the optimal strategy and before a difference could be discovered in the two strategies hundreds of thousands of games would have to be played. It’s truly in your best interest to play the basic strategy to reduce confusion and ensure you are playing the strategy perfectly.
Easier Strategies, Not as Accurate
If you find the basic strategy too difficult to follow, that’s okay. There are still other strategies out there you can implement that will work for you. They aren’t as accurate as the basic and optimal strategies are, however they can improve your odds if you use them.
-AKJ83 or better, RAISE
According to An Analysis of Caribbean Stud Poker, this hand is the lowest you should raise on without thinking about the dealer’s card. This results in a house edge of 5.32%.
-Raise with any card matching the dealer’s up card with an AK.
This results in a house edge slightly higher than the strategy above at 5.33%.
-Pair or better, RAISE
This strategy minimizes risk and has a house edge at 5.47%.
-AK or better, RAISE
This is for players who like to take risks, but the house edge is higher at 5.68%.
-Raise, Raise, Raise
The blind playing strategy listed above recommends raising on everything. This is not a good plan because the house edge shoots up over 16%. Forget this strategy and used the ones above it.
Colluding with Players
In general, colluding is not an option in this game. Of course, if you do have an Ace King hand it could be to your advantage to check out what your neighbor is flashing. What you see might help you a little, but not greatly. Keep this in mind. Remember, collusion is against the rules.
Overview
Read the strategies to determine what works best for you. Learn about the Ace/King raise and always avoid the side bet unless there is a good reason to do so like the meter reaching extremely high levels.
Basic Poker Strategy
