Before Covid, my “New Year’s Resolution” was to learn a new table game each year and report back on NETimeGambling.com. That time has come again; I’m learning Mississippi Stud. So here’s our Beginner’s Guide to Mississippi Stud at the casino.
What Is Mississippi Stud?
Mississippi Stud is a casino table game. It’s based on the poker hierarchy and deals 52 cards – but that is where the similarity to poker stops. It has another element in common with Texas Hold ’em using three community cards.
Introduced by Scientific Games, Mississippi Stud is a well-liked “novelty” or “carnival” casino table game. The Motley Fool has identified it as “part of a new generation of table games designed to appeal to younger players by offering easier-to-learn strategies.”
As we will see, the correct strategy for this game is similar to learning the video poker perfect strategy. Like video poker, players should memorize Mississippi Stud’s ideal “strategy” to get the best mathematical outcome Learning how to play Mississippi Stud doesn’t take more than a few minutes. However, this approach will take longer to keep the house edge below 5 %.
The best play is to follow the correct strategy and wait to bet big when you are supposed to. Hunches don’t work well with this game since the house edge and volatility are so high. These days, tables start at $15, with most of the $25 variety.
Mississippi Stud Payouts
The following payouts are for all ante and all raises. Notice a pair of 5’s or less is a losing hand.
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How to Play
Unlike other novelty table games, the dealer does not have to “qualify” with a particular hand for play to continue. But, again, like video poker, you are not playing against anyone else – dealer or player.
- The game starts with the player placing a single ante bet.
- Two cards are then dealt.
- Three cards are placed on the board that will be used to create a five-card hand (community cards).
- Once the player receives the first two cards, he may fold or raise them.
- A raise may be one, two, or three times the ante.
- There is never a reason to wager two times the ante.
- It is essential to ensure that you have enough chips to bet on every street, or you may be forced to fold a winner.
- If the player raises, one card from the board is exposed.
- Then, another option is to fold or bet one, two, or three times the ante. There is never a reason to wager two times the ante.
- A second card is displayed from the board where these options are once again available.
- If the player raises the fourth bet, the fifth card is shown, and the hand is finished.
A player that folds at any point loses the “ante” and any “raises” that the player made. The hand ends after a fold.
Strategy – Beginners Guide to Mississippi Stud
In video poker, the skill is knowing which cards to keep after the deal. In Mississippi Stud, deciding how much to raise or fold after cards are revealed is the key and provides the best mathematical advantage.
Players can find the following strategy at Wizard Of Odds.com. Michael Shackelford, the Wizard himself, also offers a free game tutor for learning this strategy. Click here to play.
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Counting Points
Our Beginners Guide to Mississippi Stud points out the basic strategy. We begin by assigning a point value to all cards. Face cards and aces are worth two points. Cards between 6 and 10 are worth one point. All cards below six are worth zero points.
Strategy for Playing First Two Cards
At the first wager, raise three times the ante with any pair. Next, raise one time with any hand worth two points or more. After that, you should raise a six and a five one time. After that, players should fold all other hands.
Strategy for PlayingThree Cards (first community card turned over)
Raise 3x with:
- Three of a kind
- Pair of sixes or higher
- Royal flush draw
- Straight flush draw with three connected cards 567 or higher
- A Straight flush draw with one gap and at least one card jack or higher
- Straight flush draw with two gaps and at least two cards jack or higher
Raise 1x with:
- Any three-card flush
- Pair of 2’s through 5’s
- At least three points
- The straight draw of three connected cards 456 or higher
- A Straight draw with one gap and at least two cards six and higher
Players should fold all other hands.
Strategy for Playing Four Cards (two community cards turned over)
Raise 3x with:
- Any winning hand (pair of 6’s or better)
- Any four-suited cards
- Four cards to an open-ended straight eight or higher
Raise 1x with:
- Any inside straight draw
- Pair of 2’s through 5’s
- At least four points
- Any three one-point cards if there was a 3x raise made on previous streets
Players should fold all other hands.
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Summary of Guide to Playing Mississippi Stud
Now it’s time to practice this simple strategy. If you think this is a complicated strategy to grasp, table games with the correct technique to diminish the house edge may not be your “cup-a-joe.” But I’d over to hear from those who play the game regularly.
In the meantime, I have some work to do and practice to fit in. Then, after playing at one of New England’s Casinos, I’ll report back.