Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is an exciting casino poker version of the Chinese game Pai Gow. The aim of the game is to beat the dealer, but unlike standard versions of poker, Pai Gow Poker has the added intrigue of players forming two hands at once and pitting them both against the dealer.

The game can be an attractive one to beginners, or those who do not like the fast-paced nature of poker games like Texas Hold Em, as Pai Gow Poker is less intense than most casino games and a modest buy in can usually last a long time.

How to Play

A full deck of 52 cards, plus a single joker is used and each player, including the dealer, places a bet and is dealt seven cards each. Each player then arranges their hand into a “big” hand of five cards and a “small” hand of two cards. The big hand should form a standard five-card poker hand (see below), while the small hand will either form a pair, or a high card hand.

The small hand may not be higher in value to the big hand (e.g., you can’t have a pair of Kings in your small hand and a pair of nines in the big hand), while the joker can be used to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush, or is treated as an ace.

Aside from this, the choice of hand is down to personal choice and strategy.

How to Win

Each player then compares their hand with the dealer, who arranges their hand according to house rules. If a player beats the dealer with both his big and small hands, he wins and doubles his money, usually less a commission of 5% to the house.

If the dealer’s two hands beat the player’s, the dealer wins. If the player wins one and loses one the bet is a push.

In the event of a tie (the player and the dealer having the same big or small hand), then the dealer wins.