Out of all the poker variants out there, Caribbean Stud is arguably the most straightforward. Just beat the dealer’s hand and you win. The game is mostly about deciding when to call/raise or fold.
On this page we discuss the situation when the proper decision would be to fold.
Know What the “Fold” Action Means
Folding in poker means surrendering one’s hand. It is hard to understand that dumping cards is sometimes considered the optimal play. Why? Well, if you decide to fold, you will lose your ante bet only.
You will have to wait until the next hand is dealt to play again. Should you want to continue, you will have to place an extra bet (raise) and if you lose, you’ll be losing both the ante and the raise bet. Folding is sometimes a smart thing to do.
Follow Only One Rule to Know When to Fold
The simplest strategic rule in Caribbean Stud is the one that instructs you when to fold. It goes like this: whenever you receive a hand that ranks lower than the dealer’s qualifying hand, fold. Remember to fold with an A-Q or worse.
This is less than the dealer’s minimum qualifying hand, so you will lose if you keep playing. Fold without a second thought. Only consider not to fold if you hold an Ace-King. Anything less than that is not worth it.
When Does the Dealer Qualify?
The dealer’s hand must qualify by holding an Ace and King. The dealer is required to have this or higher to continue the match. The lowest possible qualifying hand for the dealer would be A-K-4-3-2.
If they don’t, the players receive their ante bet payouts. Any raise bets push in this case, so players that have made this bet receive their stakes back.
