The Basics
Pai Gow is the Chinese version of dominoes. Pai Gow Poker is a marriage
of Pai Gow and 7-card Stud Poker.
The goal of Pai Gow Poker is to make two poker hands that beat the banker's hands. The
player is dealt 7 cards that he/she sets into a 5-card hand (high hand) and a 2-card hand
(low hand). Skill is involved in setting the two hands, which will help reduce the casino
edge to about 3%. The hands are played and ranked as traditional poker hands except
A2345, which is the second highest straight, and the 5-card hand must be higher than the
2-card hand. One wins, if both hands are better than the banker's hand. One loses, if
both lose. Otherwise it's a push. The banker wins absolute ties (i.e. K Q vs K Q). The
game is played with 52 cards and a Joker. The Joker can be used as an Ace or to complete
a flush or straight. The table layout has 7 spots - one in front of the dealer and 6 for
players.
Each player spot has spaces for a bet, low hand, high hand and sometimes the house
commission. The dealer deals 7 7-card hands in front of the chip tray. The banker can be
a player, but is usually the house. The banker designates which hands go to which player
by shaking a dice cup with three dice. The banker's position is either 1, 8 or 15 and the
hands are passed out counter-clockwise. So, if the dealer is the bank and the dice total
to 6, player 5 gets the first hand, player 6 gets the second, the dealer gets the third
and so on. The dice rules are only ritual - you don't need to worry about anything until
you get your hand.
The player puts the 2-card hand face down in the box closest to the dealer, and the five
card hand face down in back. Once everybody has set their hand, the dealer turns over and
sets the bank's hand. The dealer goes counter-clockwise around the table comparing the
banks hand to the players, and taking, paying, or knocking. There is a 5% commission on
winning bets that you can either put out next to your winning bet, or the dealer will
subtract from your payoff.
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Pai Gow Poker
* Rules of the Game .
BacK to Listing .
Betting Strategies .