The goal of Caribbean Hold’em is to get a better poker hand than the dealer, who must have at least a pair of Fours to qualify. If you’re unfamiliar with Texas Hold’Em poker hands, see below for the full range included in this table game version.
Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten—suited
Straight Flush: Five cards of consecutive rank—suited
4 of a Kind: 4 cards of the same rank
Full House: 3 of a Kind and a Pair
Flush: Any five cards suited
Straight: Five cards of consecutive rank
3 of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank
2 Pair: Two sets of two cards of matching ranks
1 Pair: Two cards of the same rank
High Card: When you don’t land any of the above hands, your highest card is assessed
Now that you know how each hand ranks, it’s time to learn how to play Caribbean Hold’Em, using a simple two-set guide.
Step 1: After placing an Ante bet (between $1 and $500 at Bovada), hit “Deal” to get two cards face-up. The Dealer gets two cards face-down, and three community cards are placed face-up on the board. The community cards are for both you and the Dealer to use.
Step 2: Assess your hand against the flop. If you want to continue the round, hit the “Raise” button, which will put a second bet on the board that’s double your Ante. At this point, the Dealer’s cards are turned over, and the remaining two community cards are dealt. The winner is declared.
If you don’t want to continue the round, hit Fold instead of Raise. You’ll forfeit your Ante and end the round. As a teaser, you’ll still get to see how the round would have panned out had you raised instead.