I Love Casinos: Game

Pai Gow Poker gives card players the best of both worlds. This exciting game combines the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow with the American classic, poker. Played with a regular deck of 52 cards plus one joker - which can be used only as an ace, or to fill out a straight, flush or a straight flush - the game produces some robust card combinations.

Pai gow poker rules cover aspects of betting, dealing of cards, house fees, and winning.

As with any other card game, pai gow poker begins with every player placing one's bet. The banker or dealer then places 7 stacks of cards with each stack having 7 cards placed face down. Along with hand ranking, this is perhaps the most consistently followed among the pai gow poker rules. This manner of distribution does not change with changes in number of players at a table. A pai gow poker table may have a maximum of six players at a table.

The 2-card hand must be of slighter value than the five-card hand. Otherwise, it is deemed foul. In such a case, the player loses the game. The 2-card hand has to be arranged in front of the 5-card hand.

In order to win, all of the player's hands must rank better than the banker's. Otherwise, the player loses. Here, the player is not competing with other players but only with the banker. The pay is 1:1. However, a 5% rake will be deducted from it. Thus, if the player placed a $10 bet, the player will receive a total of $19.50 winnings.

If only one of the player's hands beats the banker's, it is regarded as a tie. If all of the player's hands have the same rank value as the banker's, it is referred to as a copy and the player loses.

Five-card hands are ranked according to poker's built-in hand rank system. However, casinos may differ how they regard the hand A-2-3-4-5. In many casinos, specifically in Nevada, this hand ranks higher than K-Q-J-10-9, yet ranks lower than A-K-Q-J-10. In many California and Michigan casinos, A-2-3-4-5 is regarded as the least valued straight.

Pai gow poker rules in the areas of betting, winning, dealing of cards, and hand ranking are a combination of Asian pai gow rules and hand rank system of poker. But though pai gow poker rules may be based on Asian pai gow and poker, it is neither purely pai gow nor purely poker, but, as discussed above, a game uniquely its own.