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Caribbean Stud Poker Side Bets
Introduction
This page addresses side bets in Caribbean Stud Poker other than the usual $1 progressive side bet, which is addressed in my main page on that game. Instead, this page addresses other side bets I have seen.
For players who choose to disobey the ninth of my Ten Commandments of Gambling, you'll be in side bet heaven at the Palms casino in Managua, Nicaragua. They have no fewer than four side bets you can make, as follows.
Bonus
The Bonus bet was seen at the Palms casino in Managua, Nicaragua. It is a simple bet that pays based on the poker value of the player's five-card hand. While buying a card is allowed, I assume this bet is based on the original five-card hand. The following return table shows a house edge of 7.39%.
Bonus Bet
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 100 | 4 | 0.000002 | 0.000154 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 36 | 0.000014 | 0.000693 |
| Four of a kind | 20 | 624 | 0.000240 | 0.004802 |
| Full house | 7 | 3,744 | 0.001441 | 0.010084 |
| Flush | 5 | 5,108 | 0.001965 | 0.009827 |
| Straight | 4 | 10,200 | 0.003925 | 0.015699 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 54,912 | 0.021128 | 0.063385 |
| Two pair | 2 | 123,552 | 0.047539 | 0.095078 |
| Pair 8's-A's | 1 | 591,360 | 0.227537 | 0.227537 |
| Pair 2's-7's | 0 | 506,880 | 0.195032 | 0.000000 |
| Nothing | -1 | 1,302,540 | 0.501177 | -0.501177 |
| Total | 2,598,960 | 1.000000 | -0.073919 |
Power Play
The Power Play was seen at the Palms casino in Managua, Nicaragua. It pays 6 to 1 if the dealer has at least a pair and the player wins. In the unlikely event the dealer has at least a pair and there is an tie, the bet is a push. The following return table shows a house edge of 12.41%.
Power Play
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 6 | 498,699,759,720 | 0.125093 | 0.750555 |
| Push | 0 | 1,059,059,964 | 0.000266 | 0.000000 |
| Loss | -1 | 3,486,887,283,756 | 0.874642 | -0.874642 |
| Total | 3,986,646,103,440 | 1.000000 | -0.124086 |
Super Power
The Super Power was seen at the Palms casino in Managua, Nicaragua. It pays 20 to 1 if the dealer has at least a pair, the player has at least a two pair, the player wins. In the unlikely event of a tie with two pair or better, the bet is a push. The following return table shows a house edge of 25.33%.
Super Power
| Event | Pays | Combinations | Probability | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 20 | 141,697,079,400 | 0.035543 | 0.710859 |
| Push | 0 | 1,029,407,484 | 0.000258 | 0.000000 |
| Loss | -1 | 3,843,919,616,556 | 0.964199 | -0.964199 |
| Total | 3,986,646,103,440 | 1.000000 | -0.253340 |
Fuego
The Fuego, which means fire in English, was seen at the Palms casino in Managua, Nicaragua. It works like the Streak bet in blackjack, for those familiar with it. For those who aren't, there are three bets available, on three, four, and five consecutive wins. For example, the bet on three wins if the next three hands all show a net win to the player. In the unlikely event of a push, the bet neither loses nor advances, but that hand is ignored for purposes of the Fuego bet.
The Palms casino allows buying a sixth card for the price of the Ante, which should be seldom done under proper strategy. However, the following analysis is based on never buying a card, in the interests of simplicity. The right column shows a house edge of 48.5% on a streak of three, 58.1% on four, and 65.1% on five. Suffice it to say these bets are ill-advised.
Fuego
| Event | Pays | Prob. Win | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 40 | 0.008509 | -0.651120 |
| 4 | 18 | 0.022076 | -0.580563 |
| 3 | 8 | 0.057271 | -0.484561 |