What to Consider Regarding Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker has similar features to classic poker games, both the online and land-based versions of the casino game. Set on a table for six players plus the dealer, the game is played using a deck of 53 cards which include a joker card.
A joker card is also referred to as a wild card and take different numerical values depending on the player’s combination of cards. For instance, it can count as an ace, or it be used as a substitution for a straight or flush combination.
The dealer gives each player a total number of seven cards facing down. Each player must split the cards into two separate hands. The first-hand consists of 5 cards and is referred to as the ‘high’ hand. The second hand, consists of the remaining two cards is referred to as the ‘low’ or ‘small’ hand.
With regards to the ranking of the cards, standard poker ranking rules are applied. Players are encouraged to understand the rules before attempting to play the game.
How To Play Pai Gow Poker
Before the game begins, each player must place a wager according to the table’s minimum bet set by the casino. Betting options are given a numerical value from 1 to 7, coinciding with the number of seats at the table. In land-based casinos, the number is chosen manually with a throw of dice. On the other hand, the digital platform uses a random number generator to select the number.
Although a seat be vacant, the card will still be dealt by the dealer. All the cards dealt to the dragon hand will be discarded. The game of Pai Gow Poker consists of a role called the banker.
The role of a banker can be assumed by the dealer or anyone of the six players seated at the poker table, and it rotates counter-clockwise from one player to the next. Once a player has decided how to split their cards, the dealer’s cards will be flipped over, and the hands will be compared against one another.
How to Win
The objective of the online player is to beat both of the dealer’s hands by scoring higher averages with the ‘high’ and ‘low’ hand. If the player succeeds by only winning one of the two hands, the round is considered in a ‘push’.
When both hands of the dealer are greater, the outcome of the round results in a loss. If one of the player’s hand is higher and the other one is lower, the hand is a push, and your bet is returned. The dealer wins any tie.
Pai Gow Poker Tips
Most online players have an understanding that a certain level of risk is involved in gambling. Therefore, they have combined years of experience and expertise to render some tricks that have been effective on more than one occasion, for more than a single player. While they don’t actually guarantee to increase a player’s odds, they do offer some insight into how to best better one’s chances of winning.
- As winning in Pai Gow Poker can only happen if a player wins both hands against the dealer, the trick is not to have one hand higher than the other while it is possible to make them both strong.
- Players should always use Jokers in a front hand to complete a flush combination rather than a low two-card hand.
- Should the opportunity to play as the Banker present itself, the online player should take it. Depending on whether the player can afford it or not, the banker presents the best chance to win on the casino table.
- Two sets of pairs out of the seven cards dealt by the dealer should be split up between the high hand and the small hand. This move reduces the house edge and increases the player’s chances of winning.
Potential Hands
Here are a few possible combinations of a five-card hand that frequently present themselves in a Pai Gow Poker game.
- 5 Aces: 4 Aces plus a wild card
- Royal Flush A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit. The highest card in this combination is the Ace.
- Straight A hand made up of five cards of differing suits in numerical order (e.g. A, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Straight Flush Five cards of the same suit in numerical sequence (e.g. 7, 8, 9, 10, J)
- Four of a Kind Four Ace cards and a different card (e.g. A, A, A, A, X)
- Full House Three of a kind plus a pair. (e.g. J, J, J, 5, 5)
- Flush 5 cards that are of the same suit
- Three of a Kind Three similar cards with two different ones
- Two Pairs – As the name suggests, two pairs and a different card (e.g. 7, 7, 9, 9, X)
- One Pair – 2 similar type of cards out of 5 (e.g. 5, 5, X, X, X)
Pai Gow Poker FAQs
What is the difference between Chinese Pai Gow and the American Pai Gow Poker?
Firstly, the Chinese version of the casino game is played using dominoes (tiles), and the Western version is played using cards. Secondly, due to the fact that the American version uses standard poker rules (e.g. the value of face cards and Ace card), the total aggregate value is higher than in the Chinese tiles game.
What does pai gow mean in English?
The name pai gow loosely translates to ‘make nine’ or ‘card nine’, taken from the objective of the Chinese dominoes game to make the highest value from the tiles dealt which is nine.
Can I play Pai Gow Poker online?
There’s plenty of online gambling casinos that offer Pai Gow Poker. Top-rated casinos also include bonuses to attract new players to play the game and familiarize themselves with before they can move towards playing for real money.