All casino games have a house edge. This house edge gives the casinos the
ability make money. You must remember that at the end of the day, online casino
operators are running a business just like anyone else.
However, this does not mean that you are guaranteed to lose your money just
because the casino has a slight advantage. It is up to you to minimize these
odds and sometimes even swing the odds in your favour by playing the game better
than others. This comes down to your strategy.
Caribbean poker has a house edge of around 5.2%. In theory, this means that
for every €10 wagered someone will lose €0.52. Although this is slightly higher
than other games, there are certain things you can use in your playing style
that will help you tremendously.
Once the cards in Caribbean poker have been dealt, you have four possible
routes that you can go:
1. Fold the hand and lose the ante
2. Raise the bet and lose the ante if the dealer does not qualify
3. Raise the bet and win the ante and the bet if your hand beats the dealer's
qualifying hand
4. Lose the ante and the bet if the dealer's hand has qualified and is stronger
than yours
Hand Examples
There are certain hands that you will be dealt where you will obviously
raise. In this case, you also need to hope that the dealer's hand will at least
qualify so that you can be paid out for your ante and your bet. On the other
hand, if you are dealt a weak hand (no pairs or high cards) you should
immediately fold. This gets more complex when you are dealt a hand that is
placed somewhere in the middle.
One such example is pairs. If you are dealt a pair then you should raise. You
have a 42% chance of being dealt a pair and there are 13 possible pair
combinations. Only the low pairs have a good chance of losing and the 7 higher
pairs have a greater than 50% chance of winning.
The Beacon Hand
There is a standard hand in Caribbean poker - Ace, King, Jack, Eight, Three -
that is the benchmark of when to raise. Any hand that is equal to or better than
this hand should be raised.
Know Your Payout Tables
Some online Caribbean poker tables will have a maximum payout. This means
that your win will be capped at a certain amount, even if you have hit a high
paying hand. You should always calculate your bets so that your maximum payout
will be equal to the table's maximum payout.
Progressive Jackpots
Many Caribbean poker tables offer a side bet that allows you to qualify for
the side jackpot if you hit a certain hand or better. Although this does seem
tempting with a relatively small side bet, the house edge shoots up to 22% on
these progressive jackpots. These odds should not be worth your while unless the
jackpot is sitting at over €200,000. Even then, the odds are not good.
