Before we begin, it should be noted that this page focuses on casino poker games, specifically Caribbean Stud and Pai Gow Poker. If you are looking for general information on poker games such as Texas Hold’em and reviews of sites that specialise in offering online poker games then we recommend that you visit UKPoker.net. If you are looking for a specifically British online poker room, we recommend one of the poker rooms listed on the right.

Caribbean Stud
Caribbean Stud is a five card stud poker game that pits the player against the dealer and pays out fixed odds according to how high a winning hand is ranked. It is an extremely popular game that has translated very well to the online casino environment, and part of that popularity is no doubt due to the fact that it is so easy to learn.

The game begins with the player making a bet, referred to as the “ante”. Five face-down cards are then dealt to the player and five cards to the dealer, with one of those cards dealt face-up. The player looks at their hand to assess how strong it is and decides to take one of the following options:

Fold – This folds the hand and forfeits the ante already on the table.
Play – This continues the game and costs an additional bet equal to twice the amount of the ante.

When the player has made their decision, the dealer’s cards are revealed.

If the dealer does not have Ace-King or better then his hand doesn’t qualify and the player is paid out at odds of even money on their ante. In this situation the second bet made by the player is refunded.

If the dealer has Ace-King or better then their hand and the player’s hand are compared and the best hand wins. If the dealer wins then the player loses both their ante and their second bet. If the player wins they are paid out at odds of even money for the ante and according to the fixed odds below for their second bet (note that some casinos only pay 100 to 1 for the Royal Flush):

One pair or less: 1 to 1
Two pair: 2 to 1
Three of a Kind: 3 to 1
Straight: 4 to 1
Flush: 5 to 1
Full House: 7 to 1
Four of a Kind: 20 to 1
Straight Flush: 50 to 1
Royal Flush: 200 to 1

Many online casinos offer bonus payouts on a flush or better, and some offer a progressive jackpot payout on the Royal Flush (with a consolation on the Straight Flush in some cases. To qualify for these bonus payouts the player must place a side bet (usually £1 or $1) on the bonus. This bonus wager is lost if the winning hand is anything less than a flush, so it isn’t generally a good bet but some players may think it worthwhile, especially if the progressive jackpot has climbed to a particularly high level. However, you should never forget that the odds of getting a Royal Flush are just 1 in 649,740.

Caribbean Poker players tend to develop their own strategies based on their personal attitude to risk, but for brand new players a logical approach is to play any hand ranking Ace-King or better and to fold all others. You will fold some winning hands by taking this approach (namely, whenever the dealer’s hand does not qualify) but you will fold far more losers, so overall this is a sensible strategy and far better than adopting a hit-and-miss approach or blindly playing every hand you are dealt to the end.

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a poker game inspired by the popular Chinese game Pai Gow, but the two should not be confused. Pai Gow Poker uses 53 playing cards, comprising a standard deck plus one joker.
Players are pitted against the dealer, and the aim of the game is to make two poker hands from seven cards – a high hand of five cards and a low hand of two cards. The joker serves as a “wild card” and always represents an Ace unless it can be used as any other card in the high hand to make a straight or flush.

The game begins with the player placing his bet. Seven cards are then dealt to each player and the dealer (in online games there will often be just you and the dealer at the table). You then need to decide which two cards you want to use as your low hand and which five cards you want to use as your high hand. It is important to note that the low hand should always have a lower rank than the high hand, so if your high hand is Queen high, your low hand must be Jack high or worse.

When you have made your decision, your high hand will be compared with the dealer’s high hand, and your low hand with their low hand. The highest hand in each case wins, with standard poker rankings being employed across the board.

If the dealer wins with both hands then the player loses their original bet. If the dealer wins one hand and the player wins the other, the player’s bet is returned. If the player wins both hands then the player is paid out at odds of even money. Some online casinos charge a small rake on winnings, whilst others charge a small sum for every hand played, win or lose, so be sure to know which approach is being taken before you commence.

As with Caribbean Stud, your strategy is something that will develop with experience and knowledge of the game, but there is a simple strategy you can adopt from the outset to improve your odds of winning. This is to always aim for the highest two-card hand you can whilst ensuring that the five-card hand is still higher (and therefore legal). For example, if you had A-K-K-3-3-J-4 you would play 3-3 as your low hand and K-K-A-J-4 as your high hand. Or, if you had A-K-Q-3-3-J-4 you would play A-K as your low hand and 3-3-Q-J-4 as your high hand.