How to Play Cajun Stud Poker

Cajun Stud Poker is a casino table game in which you receive two face-down hole cards, followed by three community cards revealed one at a time. Before the hand is complete, you make three decisions: each time, place a raise wager of 1x, 2x or 3x your ante, or fold. Your final five-card hand is evaluated against a paytable, not another player's hand.

How does a hand work?

You start by placing an ante, then make three raise-or-fold decisions: before the first, second and third community cards are revealed.

1. Place your ante. This is the required initial wager for the main game. If you want to place any available side bets, do so at the time specified by the table rules.
2. Receive two hole cards. These are face down and private to you.
3. Make your first decision: place a raise wager of 1x, 2x or 3x your ante, or fold.
4. After the first community card is revealed, make your second decision: again, place a raise wager of 1x, 2x or 3x your ante, or fold.
5. After the second community card is revealed, make your third decision: place a raise wager of 1x, 2x or 3x your ante, or fold.
6. After the third community card is revealed, evaluate your final hand. Your two hole cards and the three community cards form a five-card hand. The main-game result is determined by the posted paytable.
7. Check side-bet results separately. Settlement depends on the rules of the specific table.

Here, 1x, 2x and 3x are fixed multiples of the original ante, not unrestricted poker raises. With a $5 ante, for example, each raise wager can be $5, $10 or $15.

If you fold, you lose your ante and all raise wagers already placed in the main game. Side bets may remain live; their separate rules determine what happens to them.

Which paytable applies?

Use the paytable posted on the layout or screen at your table. The Pennsylvania Table A from the 2019 printed code edition shown below is an example only, not a universal Cajun Stud Poker paytable.

In this example, payout odds describe net winnings relative to the relevant wager. The return of the winning stake is accounted for separately.

A push is not a win: a qualifying pair of sixes through tens returns the relevant ante and raise wagers without net winnings.

Tables A, B and C in the Pennsylvania rules differ in their payouts for a full house, flush, straight and two pair. Even when you recognize your hand, check its payout against the paytable used at that table.

Cajun Stud Poker paytables A, B and C in the Pennsylvania 2019 printed code edition; a jurisdiction-specific excerpt, not a universal paytable

Official Pennsylvania Code, 2019 printed edition: an English-language excerpt comparing paytables A/B/C. Its scope is limited to this jurisdiction and edition; it is not a universal paytable.

The example comes from the printed edition of Chapter 683a, §§683a.6–.12. This is a document for a specific jurisdiction and edition, not confirmation of the rules at every modern table. The official §683a.6 page was checked on 2026-10-08; that check does not establish current availability at any operator.

What do the side bets evaluate?

Side bets evaluate separate sets of cards and are settled under their own rules, independently of the main-game ante and raise wagers.

Qualifying hands, permitted wager amounts and payout odds depend on the posted schedule. These names do not imply identical terms at every table.

Some versions include All-Six and Five-Card Progressive wagers. They appear in historical Nevada Gaming Control Board rules, whose document metadata is dated 2018. This documents the existence of variants, not their required inclusion or current availability.

How should you make your decisions?

For the first decision, you can use the baseline from the Wizard of Odds mathematical analysis of Mississippi Stud, but it should not be treated as universally optimal for every Cajun Stud Poker paytable.

The Mississippi Stud analysis is a secondary source accessed on 2026-10-08. For the standard structure, it gives this first-decision baseline:

Assign points to each card: J–A = 2 points, 6–10 = 1 point, and 2–5 = 0 points. For example, K and 3 total 2 points, as do 8 and 7. Suited 5 and 6 are a separate exception and must remain part of the baseline.

Paytable differences can change the optimal decision. This baseline does not promise a profit or replace analysis of the specific rules.

For the second and third decisions, consider your made hand, card ranks and points, chances of improving, and the posted paytable. Do not confuse a draw with a made hand: four cards of one suit are a flush draw, not a flush; cards that could complete a sequence form a straight draw, not a made straight.

For a detailed discussion of later decisions, use the Mississippi Stud strategy guide. It covers a related game and does not imply that all its payouts match Cajun Stud Poker.

How do you calculate a payout? A flush example

The hand A♠ K♠ + Q♠ 3♠ 2♠ is a flush, not a straight: all five cards share a suit, but their ranks do not form a sequence.

With a $5 ante and chosen raise wagers of 1x, 3x and 3x, the calculation under Pennsylvania Table A is:

This calculation assumes Table A applies and no payout cap limits the return. Side bets are excluded, and no rounding is needed. It illustrates payout mechanics; it is not a recommendation for that sequence of raise wagers, evidence of profitability or an expected hand result.

How does Cajun Stud Poker differ from Mississippi Stud?

The deal and decision sequence is similar, but Cajun Stud Poker's side bets and paytables depend on the version in use.

Mississippi Stud strategy analysis can therefore provide a useful reference, but you should not automatically transfer every payout or treat the games as completely identical. If a general guide conflicts with the posted paytable and rules of a particular table, follow that table's rules.

Geographic and online availability changes, so check with the operator. This article does not verify current Cajun Stud Poker availability. ToolsGambling does not have an expected-value calculator for this game.