Playing Caribbean Stud is as easy as basking under the Nigerian sun! To start off, place your bet on the "Ante" spot on the table. Once all bets are placed, both you and the dealer will receive five cards each. However, while all your cards are dealt face-up, only one of the dealer's cards will be visible.
Now comes decision time! Based on your initial hand strength and intuition about what lies ahead in those hidden dealer cards (just like predicting which team will win during football season), you must decide whether to fold or raise. If you choose to fold, you forfeit your ante bet. But if you're feeling confident about your chances (like when that jollof rice smells heavenly), go ahead and raise by placing double your ante bet on top of it.
Once all players have made their decisions, it's time for showdown! The dealer reveals their remaining four cards while comparing their hand against yours. If they don't qualify with at least an Ace-King combination (just like having pounded yam without egusi soup), congratulations! You win even money on your ante bet while pushing any raises.
However (and this is where things get interesting), if the dealer qualifies and beats your hand, you lose both your ante and raise bets. But if your hand is stronger than the dealer's, you win even money on your ante bet plus additional payouts based on a predetermined paytable for different poker hands. And remember, in Caribbean Stud, it's not about bluffing or outsmarting other players; it's all about beating that dealer!