Mississippi Stud, a poker-like table game

[Alan Mendelson]

I recently tried the casino table game called Mississippi Stud. The game is played on what looks like a blackjack table with one dealer and seats for players.

Here's how the game is played.

To be dealt in you make an ante bet. Where I played the minimum ante bet was $5. This makes it a low cost game. And if you are looking for a low cost table game this will fit on several levels.

After making your ante bet, you and the other players are each dealt two cards from a single 52-card deck. And three community cards are dealt.

The dealer does not play a hand -- you are not playing against the dealer as in Ultimate Texas Hold'em or in Blackjack.

What you are playing is the value of your two "hole cards" plus the community cards to make your hand. You are paid for the strength or value of your hand.

I will give you some examples. If you have Jacks or Better you are paid "even money" for your total bet. If you have a pair of 6s up to a pair of 10s, you push and your bet money is returned. If you make a straight flush with your two cards plus the community cards the payoff is 100 to 1. If you make three of a kind the payoff is three to one. If you don't make a pair, you lose your bet.

Now, the bets:

While it costs you only the ante bet to see your two hold cards, you must make an additional wager to see each of the three community cards which are revealed one at a time. And here is where the game can become expensive to play. To see each community card you must bet either 1X or 2X or 3X what your ante bet is.

Obviously if you are dealt a pair of 6s or higher you will make the maximum bets to see each of the community cards because you will at least "push" and get your money back.

But what do you do if you have Ace King suited? If you hit a royal flush, the payoff is 500 to 1, but AK suited is not a pair and by itself it is a "bust" hand.

When I played the game, and for several hours, I got a paying pair (jacks once, queens once) only once each. I had "push hands" such as a pair of tens and a pair of 8s a total of three times. Only once did I have a pair that made three-of-a-kind. In the three hours I was at the table, I never saw anyone make a full house, or a flush, or a straight.

What I did see was several players "chase" their cards hoping that high cards such as AK or AQ or AJ or even A6 would pair up -- and they didn't.

The game looks easy to win but it's not. In poker there is a saying "it's hard to make a pair" and when you play Mississippi Stud you should take that saying to heart.

On the other hand I just got a phone call from a player who made quads once (pays 40 to 1) and the hand was worth $8,000 to him based on his bets on the table.

So you should follow this basic strategy: if you have a pair of Jacks or Better bet the max on all three community card bet positions hoping that you make trips or better. You will at least get paid what you bet out. If your total bets (ante plus community card bets) add up to $50 you will be paid $50.

If you have a pair of 6s thru 10s bet the maximum because even if you don't make trips or better you'll get your money back.

Your own hole cards can be worthless but if the community cards have a paying pair, or a push pair, or trips, you will also benefit if you are still in the hand and have paid to see all three community cards.

If you have a single paying card (Jack or better) or suited connectors, or two high cards (JQ off suit) be very careful with how much you bet out to see each additional community card. You might not pair up or make a straight or flush, and in the game of Mississippi Stud you could quickly see your money float away down the river.

[Alan Mendelson]

I got a call late Friday night that a player hit a royal flush in diamonds at Commerce Casino -- the giant card club near Los Angeles. The talk in the casino was that this was the first time a Royal ever hit on this game. Commerce has a payout limit of $20,000 per seat and the player was betting $100 chips and had $600 on the layout. The royal pays 500 to 1 but instead of being paid $300,000 (500 X 1 for a royal) he was limited to the max of $20K.

I heard that a Royal once hit at Rincon. At Rincon the max payout is $50k and at Caesars the max is $60k.

[Alan Mendelson]

A player who is familiar with Mississippi Stud corrected my math on the payouts, and I corrected the correct payouts above for the player who hit the royal betting $100. I was also sent this info about betting to achieve the maximum payouts on a royal without overbetting:

The player told me that with $600 on the layout and a royal hitting:

If playing at Rincon payout would be $50,000

If playing at Flamingo, Las Vegas payout would be $50,000

Just a $100 ante bet covered the table max at Commerce for a royal flush.

At a game with a $50,000 max the most you really should bet is $25 per spot to get the max out of a Royal. $25 ante, plus the 3rd, 4th, and 5th street bets.

At Commerce, for the $20,000 Max, the most you should bet is $10 per spot to get the max out of a Royal. You could essentially just bet $5, and then $10 $10 $15 to get the max.


And one more correction: the game is not at Caesars in Vegas, but at Flamingo and Paris.

[Alan Mendelson]

Mississippi Stud has been added at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. I was told there is one table in the Palace Casino under the dome. I don't know more than that and if anyone has any info on minimum bets, maximum payouts, comp points, etc. please let us know.

[Alan Mendelson]

I went to the Commerce Casino tonight with a friend who wanted to play Mississippi Stud. I bought in for $100. Minimum bet there is $5 plus a $1 "fee" paid to the casino. After about two hours I colored up $210. It was a good night for me, and a miserable night for everyone else at the table.

I played a very, very tight game, betting only when I had a pair, or two high cards. A pair of 6s to 10s is a push. I avoided all of the bonus bets. And that's why I finished with a profit and the other players over the course of two hours got slammed. One player dumped more than $2500 while another lost $1400 and they were chasing draws which can be disastrous... plus they were betting big.

Unlike regular poker games, this poker-like game does not let you win with bluffs.

[Max A Million]

Interesting. I'll look more into this game. Thanks for the info.

[Alan Mendelson]

I thought about this today: Mississippi Stud has a "community atmosphere" because if the "community cards" on the table (there are five) represent a winning hand then everyone on the table has a winning hand. For example, if the flop comes JJ5 -- a pair of jacks pays even money -- then everyone wins. If one player happens to have a J as well, he will win more (three of a kind) but everyone still wins.

I've also seen something at this game that I've never seen in any other game -- players lending money to other players.

Let's say for example the player next to you is down to his last $5 chip and he is dealt QQ which is an automatic winner. Other players will lend him chips so that he can make the maximum follow-up bets. Is there another game when players will shove chips to another player? You wouldn't do it at craps or blackjack.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I got a call late Friday night that a player hit a royal flush in diamonds at Commerce Casino -- the giant card club near Los Angeles. The talk in the casino was that this was the first time a Royal ever hit on this game. Commerce has a payout limit of $20,000 per seat and the player was betting $100 chips and had $600 on the layout. The royal pays 500 to 1 but instead of being paid $300,000 (500 X 1 for a royal) he was limited to the max of $20K.

I heard that a Royal once hit at Rincon. At Rincon the max payout is $50k and at Caesars the max is $60k.

Bumping this thread... I was chatting with my wife about this game discussing how I would play my next $650 Free Play offer and I was thinking of having some fun with this game.

I was reminiscing of my royal at this game trying to find the photo I took. I can't find it...

The person my father was talking about who hit the Royal Flush at Commerce was me. You have never seen them pay someone out so quickly and push me to leave... They shoved 2 racks of $100 chips at me and said to go deposit it in the players bank and leave...

I wish I knew that you could pay double the collection to get the table aggregate raised! I found that out the next time I went... The collection was $1 at the time. If I paid collection of $2 the table max would have been $40,000 for me. I so so so wish that game did not have a table max! It would have been a $300,000 score!

I was having so much fun with that game. I was very tight when I played it, I wouldn't chase hands which is what kills people at it. Such a fun game.

I've had a couple 4oak and the Royal. Numerous full houses as well.

I think I'm going to play it with my next free play.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

The day I hit the Royal, I was playing some poker tournament at Commerce. There was a bunny signing stuff there... After I busted, I got a pic with her and then played Mississippi Stud.

[Dan Druff]

Was that an actual Playboy bunny at the time? I assume she was, since she was signing stuff (and because she has that lol ribbon on, like a prized pig).

Also she looks hot enough to be one.

I'm guessing the Commerce table max was to prevent the "corporation" backing the games from taking a huge beating when someone gets lucky like you did.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Was that an actual Playboy bunny at the time? I assume she was, since she was signing stuff (and because she has that lol ribbon on, like a prized pig).

Also she looks hot enough to be one.

I'm guessing the Commerce table max was to prevent the "corporation" backing the games from taking a huge beating when someone gets lucky like you did.

I don't remember her name. I'm not sure. I don't normally take photo ops like this but I figured what the heck...

Even in Vegas Mississippi stud / Let It Ride etc have a max payout per hand. In Vegas it was maybe 25K or 50K at the time. This hand was before they had the extra $1 collection for the jackpots which of course, this would have won the top prize.

I knew the max payout was $20K when I was playing. I was getting dealt winning pairs, hitting 3OAK's, so it was paying handsomely prior to hitting this.

I hit a 4OAK on this in Vegas (before the jackpots again) betting $25 and it paid a little less than $10K, I had 78s and board was 888 so only bet 1 1 3 3 for $200. Paid $8000. I figured the chance of hitting 4oak was so slim, and if I got a full house it would have paid $10,000 betting $100 units there was no way I was going to hit the 20K max.