N.J. Admin. Code § 13:47-20.23

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 8, April 15, 2024

Section 13:47-20.23 - Rules of the game of caribbean stud poker

(a) The following words and terms as used for the game of caribbean stud poker shall have the following meanings:

"Ante wager" means the initial wager placed prior to any cards being dealt in order to participate in the round of play.

"Bet wager" means an additional wager made by a player, in an amount double the player's ante wager, after all cards for the round of play have been dealt but before the dealer's hole cards are exposed.

"Fold" means the withdrawal of a player from a round of play by discarding the player's hand after all cards have been dealt, but prior to placing a bet wager.

"Hand" means the five card hand dealt to each player and the dealer.

"Hole card" means any of the four cards which are dealt face down to the dealer.

"Qualifying hand" means a dealer's hand with a rank of ace, king, four, three and two or better.

"Rank" or "ranking" means the relative position of a card or group of cards.

"Round of play" or "round" means one complete cycle of play during which all players have placed ante-wagers, been dealt a hand, have folded or placed bet wagers upon it, and have had their wagers paid off or collected in accordance with the rules of this subchapter.

"Stub" means the cards remaining in a deck after all cards in a round of play have been dealt.

(b) The following equipment shall be used in the game of caribbean stud poker:

1. Two decks of cards with backs of the same color and design;

2. One cutting card of an opaque solid color, readily distinguishable from the color of the backs and edges of the playing cards and each other;

3. A table with a caribbean stud poker layout; and

4. A discard rack.

(c) The following equipment is optional in the game of caribbean stud poker:

1. A dealing shoe; and

2. An automated shuffling device.

(d) The dealer shall:

1. Shuffle, cut and deal the cards in accordance with 13:47-20.18 and the method of play in (g) below;

2. Be responsible for the operation of the game in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter;

3. Take a position at the table opposite the players; and

4. Collect all losing wagers and pay all winning wagers.

(e) Players shall keep the five cards dealt in full view of the dealer at all times, examine the cards dealt and place the five cards down on the appropriate area of the layout.

(f) Players shall not touch the cards once they have been placed down on the layout or exchange or communicate information regarding the player's hand prior to revealing the hole cards.

(g) Any violation of (e) or (f) above shall result in a forfeiture of all wagers.

(h) The method of play for the game of caribbean stud poker shall be as follows:

1. Only one deck of cards shall be used at a time.

2. A player shall not be permitted to play more than one hand per round of play.

3. Only players who are seated at the caribbean stud poker table may place a wager at the game. Once a player has placed a wager and received cards, that player shall remain seated until the completion of the round of play.

4. The permissible poker hands at the game of caribbean stud poker, in order of highest to lowest rank, shall be: royal flush, straight flush, four-of-a-kind, full house, flush, straight, three-of-a-kind, two pairs, and one pair.

5. Players place initial ante wagers in the "ante" betting area of the table. All ante wagers shall be placed prior to the dealer announcing "no more bets".

6. The dealer shall deal the first card face down to the player farthest to the left of the dealer and then, moving clockwise around the table, deal each remaining player a card, face down. The dealer shall then deal one card face down to an area directly in front of the table inventory container designated for the dealer's hand. This procedure shall be repeated until all players have received five cards face down. The dealer's fifth card shall be dealt face up. The cards shall be dealt to each player on top of that player's preceding card.

7. After five cards have been dealt to each player and the dealer, the dealer shall remove the stub from play and place it in the discard rack without exposing the cards.

8. Each player shall, after examining his or her cards, either place a "bet" wager or fold. If a player folds, the player shall forfeit his or her ante wager which shall be collected by the dealer and placed in the table inventory container. A folded hand shall then be immediately collected by the dealer and placed in the discard rack. If a player decides to place a "bet" wager, the "bet" wager shall be in an amount exactly twice that of the "ante" wager.

9. After all players have either placed a bet wager or folded, the dealer shall turn over and reveal his or her hole cards and determine the highest ranking poker hand.

10. Except as otherwise provided below, after the dealer's hole cards are revealed, the dealer shall, starting with the player farthest to his or her right, turn over the player's cards and, if the dealer has a qualifying hand:

i. All losing wagers shall immediately be collected by the dealer;

ii. All losing hands shall then be immediately collected by the dealer and placed in the discard rack; and

iii. Ante and bet wagers made by a player shall be lost if the qualifying hand of the dealer has a hand rank which is higher than the hand of that player.

11. If the hand of the player ties with that of the dealer's qualifying hand, the player's hand shall be a push. The dealer shall not collect or pay the wagers, but shall immediately collect the cards of that player after all losing wagers and hands have been collected.

12. After all losing wagers and pushes have been resolved, all winning wagers shall be paid. All winning hands shall remain face up on the layout until all winning ante and bet wagers are paid. Winning wagers shall be paid in accordance with the payout odds posted. The dealer shall pay all winning wagers beginning with the player farthest to the right of the dealer and continuing counterclockwise around the table. After paying all winning ante and bet wagers, the dealer shall immediately collect the cards of all winning players and place them in the discard rack together with the remaining cards in the deck used for that round of play.

13. All cards collected by the dealer shall be picked up in order and placed in the discard rack in such a way that they can be readily arranged to reconstruct each hand in the event of a question or dispute.

(i) Payouts on winning wagers in the game of caribbean stud poker shall be as follows:

1. Winning ante wagers shall be paid at payout odds of 1 to 1.

2. Subject to the payout limitation below, each winning wager at the game of caribbean stud poker shall be paid at payout odds no less than the odds listed below:

Wager	Payout Odds
Royal Flush	100 to 1
Straight Flush	50 to 1
Four-of-a-kind	20 to 1
Full House	7 to 1
Flush	5 to 1
Straight	4 to 1
Three-of-a-kind	3 to 1
Two Pair	2 to 1
One Pair or less	1 to 1

(j) The following restrictions shall apply to the method of play:

1. If a hole card is exposed prior to the dealer announcing "No more bets," all hands shall be void.

2. A card that is found face up in the deck while the cards are being dealt shall not be used in the game and shall be placed in the discard rack. If more than one card is found face up in the deck during the dealing of the cards, all hands shall be void and the cards shall be reshuffled.

3. A card drawn in error without its face being exposed shall be used as though it was the next card from the deck.

4. If any player is dealt an incorrect number of cards, that player's hand shall be void. If the dealer is dealt four cards of the five card hand, the dealer shall deal an additional card to complete the hand. Any other misdeal to the dealer shall result in all hands being void and the cards shall be reshuffled.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:47-20.23