Online Caribbean Stud Poker is a five-card stud game played against the dealer: you post an ante, see your five cards and one dealer card, then fold or raise twice the ante. There's no drawing and no bluffing. Whether you profit on a hand depends on your cards, the dealer qualifying with ace-king or better, and the raise pay table.
You get five cards and one decision: fold the ante or raise 2x the ante.
A random five-card hand qualifies for the dealer (ace-king or better) about 56.3% of the time.
Any pair or better is a clear raise; weak high-card hands are clear folds.
RTG lists Caribbean Stud Poker among its table games, but no source publishes its pay table or RTP.
Welcome bonuses are slot-focused, and Silver Oak's terms set 60x for table games.
Developer
RealTime Gaming (RTG)
Game type
Five-card stud vs the dealer (RNG)
Bets
Ante, then raise at 2x ante or fold
Common dealer qualifier
Ace-king high or better
RTP of RTG version
Not published in the sources checked
What is online Caribbean Stud Poker?
As house-banked poker games go, this is one of the oldest. You never play against other people: your five-card hand goes up against the dealer's five cards, and the house edge comes from the rule that the dealer must qualify before your raise gets paid.
RealTime Gaming makes an RNG version. GamblingNews' overview of RealTime Gaming (opens in a new tab) lists Caribbean Stud Poker among RTG's table games, but the sources we could check give no pay table, side bet details or RTP for it. This page covers the standard rules and the math you can work out yourself.
Caribbean Stud Poker odds: five-card hand frequencies
Unlike Hold'em games, you can't improve your hand, so the five cards you're dealt are the hand you play. There are 2,598,960 possible five-card hands from a 52-card deck. We counted every one to produce the table below.
How often each five-card hand is dealt (computed from all 2,598,960 hands)
Hand
Number of hands
Probability
About 1 in
Royal flush
4
0.00015%
649,740
Straight flush
36
0.0014%
72,193
Four of a kind
624
0.024%
4,165
Full house
3,744
0.144%
694
Flush
5,108
0.197%
509
Straight
10,200
0.392%
255
Three of a kind
54,912
2.11%
47
Two pair
123,552
4.75%
21
One pair
1,098,240
42.26%
2.4
High card only
1,302,540
50.12%
2.0
Half of all hands are high card only, and another 42% are one pair. The big raise payouts for flushes and better land on fewer than one hand in 100 combined, which is why the game can feel like a long string of small wins and losses.
Ace-king or better: how often the dealer qualifies
Of the 2,598,960 possible dealer hands, 1,463,700 hold a pair or better or an ace-king high hand. That's about 56.3%, so the dealer fails to qualify on roughly 44% of rounds. Your own cards shift this slightly in a real deal, but it's a solid guide.
When the dealer doesn't qualify, you win only the ante at 1:1, however strong your hand. A player holding a full house against a non-qualifying dealer collects the same as one holding a pair of 2s. That frustration is built into the house edge.
Some online versions change the qualifier or add a bonus for big hands when the dealer doesn't qualify. If RTG's help screen shows a different rule, the percentages here won't apply.
Caribbean Stud strategy: when to raise and when to fold
Every hand comes down to one comparison: folding costs your ante, and raising risks three times as much in the hope of collecting more. Take a $10 ante. Folding costs $10. Raising puts $30 at risk.
Here's what raising returns in each situation for a hand that wins only 1:1 on the raise, such as one pair.
Results of raising with a $10 ante and $20 raise (raise paying 1:1)
What happens
Ante
Raise
Net result
Dealer doesn't qualify
+$10
Returned
+$10
Dealer qualifies, you win
+$10
+$20
+$30
Dealer qualifies, you lose
−$10
−$20
−$30
Dealer qualifies, tie
Push
Push
$0
You fold instead
−$10
None
−$10
From this, a few clear rules follow. With a pair or better, raise: you collect $10 on every non-qualifying dealer and you beat many qualifying hands. With high-card hands below ace-king, fold: the dealer can only qualify with a hand that beats you, so raising turns a $10 loss into a likely $30 loss whenever the dealer qualifies.
Ace-king high is the borderline. Published strategies raise only some ace-king hands, depending on the other three cards and the dealer's up card. Folding every ace-king costs a little; raising every one costs a little more. Neither choice removes the house edge, and no strategy makes Caribbean Stud profitable in the long run.
The Caribbean Stud pay table: what to check before you play
The raise pay table is the single biggest factor in the game's house edge, and it isn't published for RTG's version in any source we found. Use this checklist on the help screen, and keep a copy if you plan to play for real money.
Raise pay table checklist (fill in from the game's help screen)
Hand
How often it's dealt
What to note
Royal flush
1 in 649,740
Raise payout and any maximum payout cap
Straight flush
1 in 72,193
Raise payout
Four of a kind
1 in 4,165
Raise payout
Full house
1 in 694
Raise payout
Flush
1 in 509
Raise payout
Straight
1 in 255
Raise payout
Three of a kind
1 in 47
Raise payout
Two pair
1 in 21
Raise payout
One pair
1 in 2.4
Usually even money; confirm
Watch for a maximum payout cap. In some Caribbean Stud versions, large raises on rare hands are limited to a fixed dollar amount, which means raising big doesn't increase your top prize. If the game shows a stated RTP, use it: expected loss = total amount bet × (100% − RTP). Our house edge explained guide walks through the formula.
Caribbean Stud progressive jackpot side bets
Many Caribbean Stud tables worldwide offer an optional side bet that pays a progressive jackpot for a royal flush and fixed prizes for other big hands. We found no source confirming whether RTG's version has one, or what it pays.
The arithmetic is worth knowing either way. A royal flush is dealt once in 649,740 hands. At one hand a minute, that's more than 10,000 hours of play on average. Jackpot side bets typically cost a larger share of each dollar than the main game, so treat them as a separate, expensive extra.
Silver Oak's terms and conditions (opens in a new tab) set 60x wagering for table games and video poker, compared with 40x for slots, keno, bingo and scratch cards. On a $100 bonus, 60x means $6,000 of bets if the multiple applies to the bonus alone. SlotoCash's welcome bonus terms go further: welcome-bonus play is limited to slots, Real-Series slots, keno and scratch cards.
For Decode, the casino's own site shows no visible bonus terms, and third-party reviews don't say whether table games count. Ask support in writing before using bonus funds at the table. Our table games bonus guide and wagering requirements explained cover the details.
Is online Caribbean Stud Poker legal in the USA?
Your state's law decides. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island license real-money online casinos, and Maine legalized tribal online casinos in January 2026 without any launching by October 2026. Elsewhere, Caribbean Stud online is offered by offshore casinos that no US state licenses.
UIGEA targets payment processing for unlawful internet gambling and doesn't make placing a bet a federal crime for the player. See offshore casinos legality and player protections offshore vs licensed for what that means in practice: no state regulator to complain to and terms set by the casino.
Where to play online Caribbean Stud Poker: RTG casinos with an offer via our links
These casinos run RTG software, according to their own sites or third-party reviews. None publishes a confirmed Caribbean Stud table in the sources we found, so check the lobby before you deposit. All three are offshore and not licensed by any US state; check your state's law first. We earn commission through these links, and the order reflects a commercial arrangement, not a test.
SlotoCash Casino: $6,000 Welcome Bonus + 60 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply).
Decode Casino: $5,000 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply).
Silver Oak Casino: $2,500 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply).
SlotoCash: the casino's terms set 25x (deposit + bonus), a $20 minimum per bonus and no max cashout, valid on slots, Real-Series slots, keno and scratch cards. Its site advertises $7,777 and 300 spins over five deposits, so check which package shows at sign-up. The Michigan Gaming Control Board named SlotoCash in an October 8, 2026 cease-and-desist release. See the SlotoCash review.
Decode: its site shows a headline offer without terms. LCB, a third-party site, lists code DECODE111 at 111% up to $1,111 with 25x (bonus + deposit) and a $25 minimum. Codes change. More in the Decode review.
Silver Oak: its own offer page advertises $10,000 as a 100% match on each of the first ten deposits with no max withdrawal, but the offer page says 30x and the terms say 40x for slots, so confirm before claiming; deposits start at $30. The board named Silver Oak in an April 9, 2025 cease-and-desist release (opens in a new tab). See the Silver Oak review.
Caribbean Stud is entertainment that costs money over time. For free help, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) or use NCPG's chat; our national helpline page explains what happens when you reach out.
Ad21+ (18+ where allowed). Ranked by us in a commercial order; we earn commission from these links. Advertiser disclosure
All three run RTG software according to their own sites or third-party reviews. Their welcome bonuses target slots, so Caribbean Stud play is usually excluded or wagered at a higher multiple.
SlotoCash Casino#1 on our listBiggest bonus on our list
Published terms (casino terms): SlotoCash advertises up to $7,777 + 300 spins over five deposits on its own site. Eligible games: Slots, keno and scratch cards (progressive jackpots excluded).
Who runs it: License not shown on its site; reported as a Deckmedia N.V. brand (Curaçao). Regulator notes: Named in a Michigan Gaming Control Board cease-and-desist release, October 8, 2026.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $20 per bonus. Wagering 25x deposit + bonus. Max cashout: None stated. Withdrawal cap $5,000 / week. Terms source: casino terms. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
Published terms (reported): Decode advertises a $111 free chip and crypto bonuses on its own site; deposit-bonus codes and terms vary. Eligible games: Mainly slots; check each code.
Who runs it: License not shown on its site; third parties report Curaçao. Regulator notes: Third parties report it refuses players in MD, NJ, NY and WA.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $25 (reported). Wagering Varies by code (25x–35x reported). Max cashout: Varies by code. Withdrawal cap $2,500 / week (reported). Terms source: reported. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
Silver Oak Casino#4 on our listBonus on 10 deposits
Published terms (casino terms): Silver Oak advertises a 100% match on each of its first ten deposits (up to $10,000 in total) with codes SILVEROAK1–10. Eligible games: Slots, keno, scratch cards (table games at 60x; many games excluded).
Who runs it: Primrose Media Limited, licensed in Anjouan (its terms). Regulator notes: Named in a Michigan Gaming Control Board cease-and-desist release, April 9, 2025.
21+ (18+ where allowed). New players. Min deposit $30. Wagering 30x on the offer page; 40x in the terms. Max cashout: None stated. Withdrawal cap From $2,500 / week. Terms source: casino terms. Terms apply. Offer checked October 28, 2026.
These casinos are offshore operators. They are not licensed or regulated by any US state, and state consumer protections do not apply. Check the law in your state before you play. Terms marked “reported” come from third-party reviews; the terms shown at sign-up apply.
21+ (18+ where allowed). Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
Frequently asked questions
What are the odds of winning at Caribbean Stud Poker?
You'll lose more rounds than you win, and the house edge means losses are likely over time. About 56.3% of random five-card hands qualify for the dealer, so the dealer misses roughly 44% of the time and you collect the ante at 1:1. When the dealer qualifies, your result depends on your hand and the raise pay table. RTG's pay table isn't published, so read its help screen. See house edge explained for how to turn odds into dollars.
When should I raise in Caribbean Stud Poker?
Raise with any pair or better, and fold high-card hands below ace-king. With a $10 ante, folding costs $10 while raising puts $30 at risk, and a weak hand loses that $30 whenever the dealer qualifies. Ace-king high is a close call that depends on your other cards and the dealer's up card. No strategy beats the house edge. The casino math basics guide explains the expected value method behind these decisions.
What happens if the dealer doesn't qualify?
Your ante pays 1:1 and your raise is returned, whatever hand you hold. In the standard game the dealer needs at least ace and king to qualify, which happens in about 56.3% of random hands. That means a royal flush earns only the ante when the dealer misses, unless the table has a special bonus rule. Check RTG's help screen for its exact rule. Our ante glossary entry explains the bet.
What is the RTP of Caribbean Stud Poker at RTG casinos?
It isn't published in any source we could check. GamblingNews lists Caribbean Stud Poker among RTG's table games without rules or RTP data. The RTP depends mainly on the raise pay table and any payout cap, so read the help screen and note them before playing. Expected loss is total amount bet times the house edge. For a primer on the term, see what is RTP.
Is Caribbean Stud Poker the same as Caribbean Hold'em?
No, they're different games. Caribbean Stud gives you five private cards with no community cards and no draws, and the dealer usually qualifies with ace-king. Caribbean Hold'em gives you two hole cards plus five shared cards, and the common qualifier is a pair of 4s. Both have a single fold-or-bet decision at twice the ante. Compare them on our online Caribbean Hold'em page.
Can I use a bonus to play Caribbean Stud online?
Usually only at a high cost, if at all. Silver Oak's terms set 60x wagering for table games, compared with 40x for slots. SlotoCash's welcome bonus covers only slots, Real-Series slots, keno and scratch cards, and play on other games voids promotion winnings. Decode's table-game terms aren't published. Read what games count toward wagering and confirm with the casino before you bet bonus money at the table.
Is there a Caribbean Stud progressive jackpot online?
Many land and online versions offer one as a side bet, but no source we checked confirms a progressive on RTG's Caribbean Stud. A royal flush appears once in 649,740 hands, so a jackpot side bet is a long-odds extra that usually costs more per dollar than the main game. RTG's known pooled progressives are slots. Our what is a progressive jackpot answer explains how these jackpots grow.
Is online Caribbean Stud Poker legal in the US?
It depends on where you live. Seven states license real-money online casinos: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Elsewhere, the game is offered by offshore casinos that no state licenses, and the Michigan Gaming Control Board has called several of them illegal offshore operators. Check your own state's law first. Our states hub and states with legal online casinos page cover each state.
Can I play Caribbean Stud Poker on my phone?
Yes, RTG table games run in a mobile browser at all three casinos on this page, according to their own sites. SlotoCash's support page says no app or software is needed, Decode describes instant play on mobile without an app, and Silver Oak's mobile page lists browser play on iPhone, Android and tablets. None of those sources confirms a Caribbean Stud table, so check the lobby after you log in. The game suits a phone well because there's one decision per hand, but open the help screen to read the raise pay table first. See our mobile casino guide and is there a casino app.
How much money do I need for a Caribbean Stud Poker session?
Plan on up to three times your ante per hand, because a raise adds twice the ante. Pair-or-better hands make up about 49.9% of all deals, computed from the 2,598,960 possible hands, so raising those alone means roughly half your hands cost $30 on a $10 ante. Over 100 hands, that's about $1,000 of antes plus $1,000 of raises, or $2,000 in total bets, before any ace-king raises. The house edge applies to that total. Choose an ante that fits your session limit on that basis. Our bankroll management guide and how much should I deposit answer help you size it.
Is online Caribbean Stud Poker legal in Texas?
No Texas law authorizes online casinos, so there's no state-licensed site offering Caribbean Stud Poker to players in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas or anywhere else in the state. Since September 1, 2025, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation oversees the lottery and charitable bingo, after SB 3070 abolished the Texas Lottery Commission. A 2025 bill to ban sweepstakes casinos, SB 517, passed the Senate but didn't advance in the House. The RTG casinos carrying this game are offshore and hold no US state license. Read our Texas online casino guide and can I play online casinos in Texas.
How long do Caribbean Stud withdrawals take at Silver Oak?
Silver Oak's own terms describe a review period of 7 to 10 business days and then 7 to 10 business days for payment, so allow up to about four weeks. Its banking page lists Bitcoin, bank wire and check payouts with limits up to $2,500 each, and its terms set a weekly limit starting at $2,500, with higher limits by VIP level. An 8% fee, minimum $4, applies if you withdraw without wagering your deposit once. Coindraw is listed at 0 to 7 days with a 5% fee. Read the Silver Oak banking page and casino withdrawal fees before you request.
Is RTG's Caribbean Stud Poker rigged?
There's no published evidence that RTG's Caribbean Stud is rigged, but you can't verify it the way you could at a state-licensed site. Third-party sources say RealTime Gaming's games are tested by Technical Systems Testing, and each hand is dealt by a random number generator. The casinos on this page are offshore, so no US state regulator checks the software or hears disputes. The dealer's qualifying rule and the raise pay table already give the house its edge, without any need for tampering. Read are RTG games fair and our RNG glossary entry for more.
Do offshore casinos report Caribbean Stud winnings to the IRS?
Offshore casinos may not issue a W-2G, but your winnings are still taxable federal income. For table games, the IRS instructions tie W-2G reporting to wins that meet the $2,000 threshold and are at least 300 times the wager, so most Caribbean Stud wins wouldn't produce a form even at a US casino. The responsibility to report sits with you either way. Keep records of each session, deposit and withdrawal. The loss deduction is reported to be capped at 90% of losses from the 2026 tax year; check IRS guidance. See do offshore casinos report to the IRS and our gambling taxes guide.
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