One of the leading casino trends of the last decade has been toward trying new table games, loosening the hold that blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat long have held on table players.
Given enough floor space, there's ample reason for table games managers to try new games. The new games are in part an attempt to woo players back to the tables at a time that slot and video poker machines are capturing more and more of the market. Table managers also are trying to wean players off low-edge games onto games that are more profitable for the house.
With the exception of Spanish 21, the most successful of the new games have been based on stud poker.
The most widely played of the new games is Caribbean Stud Poker, which surpasses the popularity of baccarat and challenges roulette in most markets. Let It Ride and Three Card Poker also have carved out niches. The stud poker games have their similarities, of course, but there also are big differences. See if you can sort them out in this quiz on Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride and Three Card Poker. Next week: answers and explanations.
- The player has winning hands most frequently in:
- Caribbean Stud.
- Let It Ride.
- Three Card Poker Pair Plus.
- Three Card Poker vs. the dealer.
- Given a minimum bet at a $ 5 table, the player's expected average loss is greatest at:
- Caribbean Stud.
- Let It Ride.
- Three Card Poker Pair Plus.
- Three Card Poker vs. the dealer.
- Without making a side bet, the player has a chance at the largest potential jackpot is in:
- Caribbean Stud.
- Let It Ride.
- Three Card Poker Pair Plus.
- Three Card Poker vs. the dealer.
- The player's smallest potential jackpot is in:
- Caribbean Stud.
- Let It Ride.
- Three Card Poker Pair Plus.
- Three Card Poker vs. the dealer.
- The game or games that have side-bet options for players who want to chase bigger jackpots are:
- Caribbean Stud.
- Let It Ride.
- Three Card Poker Pair Plus.
- Three Card Poker vs. the dealer.
- After making the initial bet, the player has no more decisions to make when playing:
- Caribbean Stud.
- Let It Ride.
- Three Card Poker Pair Plus.
- Three Card Poker vs. the dealer.
- In Let It Ride, an "aggregate limit" on winnings:
- Puts a cap on a potential jackpot.
- Means that some bets may be paid at less than posted odds.
- Raises the house edge.
- All of the above.
- None of the above.
- In Let It Ride, if the player's first three cards are 6-7-8 of mixed suits, the player should:
- Pull back the first bet.
- Let it ride.
- In Caribbean Stud, if the player's cards are Ace-King-8-4-3 of mixed suits and the dealer's face up card is a 4, the player should:
- Bet.
- Fold.
- In Three Card Poker play vs. the dealer, if the player is dealt Queen-9-5 of mixed suits, the player should:
- Bet.
- Fold.
For more information, we recommend:
Bold Card Play: Best Strategies for Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride & Three Card Poker by Frank Scoblete