Stud Loco is also known as Mexican Stud or Mexican Poker. It is essential that you do not get confused with the three since they are just one game. Stud Loco is an exciting variation of Five-Card Stud that you need to try out. Most people complain that the traditional Five-Card Stud lacks strategy because only one card is hidden. It allows opponents to easily guess what the other players have in their hands therefore hindering strategy. Nevertheless, Stud Loco is an improved variation that actually requires great strategy. It is easy to lose in this game without any strategy.

Stud Loco gives each player more freedom and strategy in the game Each player receives two cards face down. The rules are also very much easy to learn. Each player must then choose a card that will be exposed. After three seconds, each player reveals the chosen card. Each player receives a card as well every round and needs to choose which among his down cards will be exposed. Each player reveals the chosen card after three seconds. Each player also receives a last card and needs to expose another card. If you notice, at this phase the game is already identical to the traditional Five-Card Stud, where you have four exposed cards and one hidden card. Stud Loco is definitely a game worth trying.

In reality, Five-Card Stud is one of the less preferred variations simply because for most, it lacks a strategic element. Five-Card Stud allows the exposure of four cards and does limit strategy. As a result, Two Down Three Up and Three Down Two Up have been created in order to encourage strategy.

There is one variation that actually involves a great strategy. Mexican Stud is yet another form of Five-Card Stud that provides players with more freedom and strategy. This game is also known as Roll Your Own. The great thing about this game is that it allows players to choose which among their cards are exposed and hidden.

The rules are actually simple for Mexican Stud. Here are some basic rules of the game. At the start of the game, each player is dealt two cards face down. Each player is allowed to choose a certain card which will be exposed. Once he has chosen a card, this card is revealed after three seconds. Each player also receives a card after every round. Each player is also required to choose which among his cards face down will be exposed, after three seconds. After each player receives a last card, he exposes another card. At this point, Mexican Stud looks like the traditional Five-Card Stud where four cards are exposed and one card is hidden.

You will be amazed to find out that Five-Card Stud is actually a great game. Without it, other variations would have not risen. Also, you will be surprised to find out that Five-Card Stud consists of a couple of variations as well. The most popular variations are Two Down Three Up and Three Down Two Up. What I want to talk about is the One Down Three Up One Down, which is my favorite variation of Five-Card Stud.

One Down Three Up One Down may sound complicated at first, but the mechanics are really simple. The game is very similar with Two Down Three Up where each player is dealt two cards face down and three cards face up. Meaning, each player receives two hidden cards and three exposed cards. What makes One Down Three Up One Down unique is that the hole cards are dealt separately. One hole card is dealt at the start, and one hole card is dealt at the end. To explain further, what makes One Down Three Up One Down unique from Two Down Three Up is that one hole card face down is dealt at the end.

If you are new to Five-Card Stud, I suggest that you first try One Down Three Up One Down since it requires a great strategy. Anyway, it is similar to Two Down Three Up so it is not difficult to understand.

Despite this fact, Five-Card Stud is still very much played by some people. It is really not a bad game after all. Under the Five-Card Stud, many variations exist as well. One of the most popular variations is Three Down Two Up, where four out of the five cards that each player is dealt is exposed. If you notice, this variation is an improved variation of the traditional Five-Card Stud in the sense that it allows less cards to be exposed. Thus, the game encourages more strategy.

There is an even more improved variation of the Five-Card Stud, which is even better in my opinion.  Three Down Two Up is another variation of Five-Card Stud wherein three out of the five cards are dealt face down . If you look closely, only two out of the five cards that each player is dealt is exposed. The rest of the rules are identical between Three Down Two Up and the traditional Five-Card Stud. The real distinction is that there is more strategy involved because of less cards exposed in the game. As a result, more players can exercise their skills, which is essential in winning in poker.

Three Down Two Up has given people helps encourage more people to play Five-Card Stud. After all, Three Down Two Up has never disposed the strategic element that makes poker games so popular.

The reason why Five-Card Stud is less popular than other improved variations is that four out of the five cards that each player is dealt is exposed. This defeats the purpose of strategy since there is too much information exposed to the opponents. People would rather play other variations of poker, which does not limit the strategic element in the game. Nevertheless, Five-Card Stud is still very much alive and played by many people.

Two Down Three Up is a variation of Five-Card Stud wherein two out of the five cards are dealt face down. In other words, only three out of the five cards that each player is dealt is exposed. The rest of the rules of Two Down Three Up is the same as the traditional Five-Card Stud. The significance of Two Down Three Up is that less cards are exposed, which adds more impact on the strategy of each player.

Two Down Three Up is an improved variation of Five-Card Stud since allows less cards to be exposed. An exciting feature of the Two Down Three Up is the betting. In Five-Card Stud, four cards are exposed, which eliminates strategy since players are most likely to guess what their opponents have in their hands. Two Down Three Up improves this area by allowing less exposed cards. As a result, there is strategy since there is uncertainty which makes the betting more exciting.

It does not mean that you should not try the traditional Five-Card Stud since it is also a great game especially for beginners. Two Down Three Up is definitely one variation you should try.

The perfect way to try our luck was to try the Caribbean Stud, just perfect for out vacation. This stud poker variation has the same rules as a five-card stud poker. What makes it unique is that the players are playing against the house and not against themselves. A player can only play one hand at a time. Those who are playing for the Progressive Payout must insert the $1 bet and the light must be ON. As with any casino, collusion is a big no-no. Doing so will forfeit all bets made. If a player has an incorrect number of cards then he has a dead hand. All the player’s five cards must be in the dealer’s view. After the player checks his cards, he could no longer check or touch them again. The decision made at the table is final and irrevocable.

There is a corresponding payout for the type of combination made. The Royal flush has the highest with 100 to 1. One Pair or less has the lowest at 1 to 1. The goal is to have that Royal Flush so that you get the most of your money. While playing, we did not get that combination but we managed to break-even so I was OK.

The five-card stud is considered the grandfather of all five-card stud games dating back to the American Civil War. Too bad it lost its fame but is still played in a lot of casinos all over the world. It is popular in Finland where they have a Scandinavian version. It is no longer played in the World Series of Poker. The game has also been featured in shows like in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation and in the movie The Cincinnati Kid.

A typical five-card stud game starts with one hole card and four others that are all dealt face up. It can be played in a High-Low variation wherein at the end of the game, the pot is split between the highest and lowest hands. The Two down, Three up variation features two hole cards instead of one. The three other cards are dealt face up. The Three down, Two Up variation only has three betting rounds making it ideal to be played with no limit or pot limit. The One Down, Three Up, One Down deals the last card or the river face down. The Mexican stud allows the players to choose which one of his cards to show. It is a roll your own game which sometimes uses a stripped deck.

There are other variations available. You can check them out in online casinos.