The Rules of Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow is a game of chance where players use cards rather than Chinese dominoes, or pai gows. It is also known as Double Hand Poker.
Playing this game is enjoyable, but at first it can be a little challenging to grasp the basics. Look at this.
The Rules of Pai Gow Poker
A conventional 52-card deck plus one joker is used in Pai Gow Poker. Along with the dealer, a maximum of six players can be seated around the table.
The goal of the game is to defeat the banker, which is quite obvious. A player-dealer “team,” the dealer, or another player at the table can all serve as the banker.
Making two poker hands out of the seven cards handed allows you to accomplish this:
- A five-card “high” hand (also referred to as the huge hand or back hand)
- A two-card “low” hand (front hand/small hand, etc.)
Your low hand must be defeated by your high hand. Your high hand must be superior to a pair of fives, for instance, if your low hand is a pair of fives.
Your hands are shown by the dealer together with the banker’s hands once you have set them. Then, three possible results exist:
- The player prevails in both hands and their wager.
- The player’s wager is lost when the dealer wins both hands.
- In the event where both the player and the dealer win a hand, the hand is a push and no money is transferred (except from the commission, which will be discussed further below).
The dealer receives ties in Pai Gow Poker. For instance, in a situation where the dealer and you both hold the low hand of A-K, the dealer wins.
Dealing with the game
The deal procedure in Pai Gow Poker is quite intriguing. Following the shuffle, the dealer deals the cards into seven face-down piles, each containing seven cards (one for the dealer, one for each player), and four excess cards that are unused that are placed in the discard pile, also known as the muck.
Interesting fact: The dealer shuffled the cards into piles in the manner of a dragon, complete with head, body, and tail, before the invention of card shufflers.
Starting with the banker, each seat has a number between one and seven. The dealer distributes the cards counterclockwise, selecting a number at random to determine who receives cards first.
Orienting Your Pai Gow hand
Only pairs and high cards can be made in a two-card hand. Normal poker hand rankings apply to the five-card hand. The five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand. The five-card hand must be superior to the two-pair, for instance, if the two-card hand contains a pair of aces.
Only flushes or straights can be completed with the joker. Should neither of these scenarios hold true, the joker has to be an ace. (Although other casinos have various policies for the joker, this is by far the most typical.)
Pai gow, or non-hand, is when a player’s cards cannot be used to build a pair or better; an example of this would be if you were dealt Q-9-7-6-5-3-2.
Pai Gow Demolition
After setting their hands, players position the five-card hand behind them and the two-card hand in front of them. Because of this, the five-card hand is dubbed the “bottom,” “high,” “behind,” or “big” hand, while the two-card hand is sometimes referred to as the “on top,” “small,” “minor,” “in front,” or “low.”
When a hand is established incorrectly—for example, when the two-hand hand ranks higher than the five-card hand—it is considered fouled and, depending on the casino, may be forfeited or reset in accordance with house pai gow rules.
Should the dealer/casino be the banker, the cards have to be dealt in accordance with house regulations. On the other hand, a player can arrange their hand anyway they see fit if they are the banker in that specific hand. When a player co-banks with the dealer, they have to play their hand in accordance with house regulations.
Commissioning
Typically, the casino deducts a commission of 5% from the player’s profits. Depending on the amount wagered, some casinos impose a fixed fee each hand.
Editor’s note: Probably, more commission is preferable.
Side bets in Pai Gow Poker
Variants of Pai Gow Poker that feature side bets that can boost a player’s earnings are becoming more and more popular in casinos. There is no increase or decrease in the wager for the hand itself with these side bets.
Alternatively, the player is placing further bets on the outcomes of getting three of a kind, a full house, four of a kind, a straight flush, or a royal flush. Naturally, the extra reward increases with the strength of the hand.
The most typical—as well as well-liked—are:
- Good luck Pai Gow: Lets participants place a side wager on travel or better
- Players can place two side bets in Pai Gow Mania.
- Emperor’s Challenge: Permits participants to wager on a pai gow
- Advancement Good luck Pai Gow: This game enables bettors to make side wagers with the possibility of a winning seven-card straight flush.
Envy bonuses are also offered by some casinos. In these, participants place a bet on the likelihood that a different player at the table will hit a premium hand.
Pai Gow side bets carry the same negative expectation as any other wager made by a casino, if not a much higher one than the game of Pai Gow itself. Stay away from them unless you have an overwhelming desire to gamble.
Strategy for Pai Gow Poker
Since there are no betting rounds in Pai Gow Poker, the outcome of a hand is primarily determined by how the cards are dealt. To have the best chance of beating the dealer, one must, of course, set their hand with some expertise. Players frequently have to deal with hands that have several possible configurations, each of which can produce a significantly different result.
A player may choose to set his or her hand in the following manner, for instance, if dealt K, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 9.
- K, 9/K, Q, J, 10, 9 (mediocre top hand, very strong bottom hand)
- Q, J/K, K, 9, 9, 10 (mediocre top hand, strong bottom hand)
- 9, 9/K, K, Q, J, 10 (strong top hand, fairly strong bottom hand)
Hence, the top option would probably be the best if a player wanted to almost certainly win a push; nonetheless, because it offers the player a very good chance of winning, the bottom option would be the most profitable play.
In a few of these tight calls, it comes down to instinct and taste. Except in cases where the player is co-banking with the dealer, as previously stated.
Ask the dealer if you have any questions regarding how to set your hand. Most casinos will gladly assist you if they are allowed to.
Another famous poker variation that is actually pretty enjoyable to play is Pai Gow. It has gained a lot of popularity over the years.
Are you familiar with Pai Gow Poker? Please feel free to remark, think, and share below.
