Everything you need to know about Mexican stud poker
If you’re a fan of gambling and want to try something new, we highly recommend Mexican stud poker. It is based on the usual stud poker, where you can choose to reveal your cards as you bet.
The thing that makes Mexican stud poker a more dynamic version of poker than the other variants is the specific choice to decide whether to show all your cards or not.
However, there are a huge number of gambling lovers who are unaware of this amazing version of stud poker, despite its availability on various new online casinos.
What exactly is Mexican stud poker?
If you’ve played any version of the stud poker before, Mexican stud poker will seem quite familiar. However, if you have no prior experience with the game, this might be a strange and tricky game to play.
First of all, there are no community cards. All the players have to build the best hand possible with the 5 cards that they get. The strength of each hand is the same as standard poker. There are a few exceptions to this rule, though, which we will discuss further in the article.
The best part of this game is that you can see four out of the five cards of your opponents. It all comes down to the last card in your hand and how well you can hide it.
You can read more about the various aspects of the Mexican stud poker below.
Mexican stud poker deck
A game of Mexican stud poker may vary depending upon the deck being used on the table. If it’s a deck with 53 cards and one joker, the usual rules of poker are applied to the game. However, some Mexican stud poker games begin after the removal of all the 8s, 9s, and 10s from the deck. This reduces the total number of cards in the deck to 21, which, in turn, drastically reduces the chance of getting a flush.
In Mexican stud poker, both, flush and full house are considered to be of the same strength.
A lesser number of cards increases the odds of stronger hands. In Mexican stud poker, you really need to focus on calculating how much stronger your cards are than the other players.
How is it played?
Each player has to place a small bet before each round of the game. The game starts with two cards being dealt to everyone – one face down and one face up. Some versions of the game start with both the cards being dealt face down, giving you the chance to flip one of them face up.
The person with the biggest hand in the clockwise-direction of the dealer starts placing bets. To make things interesting, the rules do not permit the lowest cardholder to check or fold. Therefore, make sure you have a good stack, as this is a game of many bets and big wins.
You can make a choice to flip your facedown card over or leave it like that. If you decide to flip it, the next card will be dealt face down. If not, the next one will be dealt face-up.
The game continues until five cards have been dealt to everyone, and they have all placed their bets.
The joker
The most interesting card in the game of Mexican stud poker is the joker. It’s sort of a power card.
As long as the joker remains facedown, it has the power to be considered as any card you need to complete your hand. Once flipped, it loses its abilities and is considered as an ace only. Therefore, whenever you are dealt one, make sure to leave it facedown for the entirety of the game.
A few useful strategies for Mexican stud poker
There are three major things you must learn to master the game of Mexican stud poker – information management, betting and guessing your opponent’s hands.
In a game, giving incorrect information to your opponents is inarguably one of the best strategies to win.
In the beginning, you have to play a bluff. You can do so by placing a bet that is the opposite of your actual card. In simpler words, place a high bet if you have a weak hand and a small bet if you have a good card.
If you manage to get the joker, don’t give out the information and play weak bets all along. If you don’t have it, act as if you do.
When it comes to placing bets, Mexican stud poker is always played defensively, where big bets are preferred rarely.
Furthermore, as you keep playing, you will learn to know when a person is bluffing, and when they are not. With time, you’ll learn that it’s basic math and will be able to calculate the hands that each opponent might have and its strength. Stay tuned with us to get regular updates on the different strategies of Mexican stud poker.
Conclusion
Mexican stud poker is quite an interesting game for those who are comfortable playing with a card facing down. The allowance to flip the facedown card up and get the next card that is dealt as a facedown card keeps your opponents guessing and confused about the hand you have.
Therefore, if you like the sound of this game and are intrigued to check it out, we download casinos offering Mexican stud poker today!
