Pai Gow Poker

By Wagercomms

The Game

A game that combines the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow and during time influenced by the American Poker games. It's not only luck it's just as much a skill game.

How to Play Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is played with a deck of 53 cards. A standard 52-card deck plus one wild joker. Each player is dealt seven cards and must split them into two separate hands. The first hand is referred to as "the highest hand" and consists of five cards. The second hand is referred to as "the second highest" and consists of only two cards. The 5-card hand must always rank higher than the 2-card hand. For example, if your seven cards are: ace, ace, 9, 7, 5, 4 and 3, you cannot place the two aces in your 2-card hand. The pair of aces must be kept in "the highest hand" i.e. the 5 card hand.

Your goal as the player is to beat both of the dealer's hands: the 5 card hand and the 2 card hand. If both of your hands beat the dealer's hands, you receive "even money" on your bet (i.e. 1 to 1), with the exception that the bank takes a 5% commission from your winnings. If both your hands lose against the dealer's hands, the dealer takes the bet. If you succeed in winning only one of the two hands, the round results in a tie or "push".

The Pai Gow Poker game rules described follows the standard rules employed by the Las Vegas Strip. However, online Pai Gow Poker often eliminates the option of playing the dragon and there are differences in creating a win hand if the player should create a so-called "dead" hand, see further below for explanation.

Poker Hand Rankings

In Pai Gow Poker, the highest-ranking hand is five aces, four aces plus the wild card. This poker hand beats a royal flush. The only difference between the system of ranking hands in Pai Gow Poker and in other poker games is that A, K, Q, J and 10 ranks as the highest straight, A, 2, 3, 4 and 5 ranks as the second highest straight, followed by the straight composed of K, Q, J, 10 and 9.

Highest Five Card Hand

The 5 card hand must have the highest rank of the two hands. The player must try to create the best possible 5 card hand from his seven dealt cards.

Second Highest Two Card Hand

The 2 card hand must have the second-highest rank of the two hands. The highest ranking 2 card hand is a pair of aces. If the 2 card hand is not composed of a pair, the value of the cards determines the hand's rank.

The Wild Card

The wild card, or joker, may be used only as a single ace or to complete a flush, straight, or a straight flush.

Dead or Foul Hands

A dead or foul hand results when the Pai Gow Poker player fails to divide the seven cards properly into a highest and second highest hand. If the player places his two best cards in the second highest hand, the hand is considered dead. Unlike in most land based casinos, online you will not automatically lose if you create a dead. When and if you make a mistake dividing your seven cards, you are merely notified by the dealer that your cards must be redistributed between the two hands.

Be sure to verify the exact rules of dead and fould hands at your online casino, variations do exist. 

House Way

Ever get stuck on how to set your two hands? Simply hit "house way" button, available in most online casinos, and your cards will automatically be set for you by the dealer using the same rules employed by the casino.

Make sure that your online casino have the option of "house way", as the feature is preferred if you are new to the game.

Copy Hand

When the player and the dealer compare hands that have the same rank, the hand is referred to as a "copy hand." The dealer wins the copy hand in Pai Gow Poker (as opposed to in blackjack, where a copy hand results in a push. For example, if your second-highest hand is composed of an ace + king and the dealer has an ace + king as well, the dealer will win that portion of the hand.)

Player Banking

Just like Pai Gow Poker in your favourite land-based casino or card room, most online casinos offers player banking. This means that you will occasionally be given the option to play as the house or banker. As the banker, you have the advantage of winning any copy hands, just like the dealer. When you play as the banker, you must first place a bet against the dealer. This wager will always be the amount of your previous wager or the table minimum. You must also cover all wagers placed by the other players seated at your table. In the first showdown, your cards will be judged against the dealer's. Your cards will then be judged against the cards of all players at your table. Your winnings will be subject to a 5% commission by the house.

How Often Can You Be the Banker?

The casino dealer will bank every other hand. On every second hand, the option to play as the banker will pass in rotation to the different seating positions at the table. In other words, seat #1 will be given the option to bank first, then seat #2, 3, 4, and 5 on every other hand, regardless if there is a player located in the seat or not. This means that if you are seated in seat #5 and there is only one other player at the table in seat #1, you will still have to wait until the game passes seats #2, 3, and 4 before you will be given the option to bank.

Differences may exist between online casinos and software producers, make sure you read the detailed game rules.

The Dragon

In many land-based casinos, Pai Gow Poker players have the option of playing the dragon in turn as an extra game, a feature most online casinos have excluded.

Winnings

Players win even money, 1 to 1 on their bets, but must pay a 5% commission on their winnings to the bank. Your actual winnings are as a result 95% of your bet.

House Edge

Per the definition of standard rules of Nevada casinos, one deck game plus one wold card, and the above rules the following house edges applies. 

One deck game plus wild card and optimal play house edge is 2.48%.