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PAI GOW POKER
PAI GOW POKER -
Pai Gow Poker is a card game played with a 53-card deck consisting of a
standard deck of 52 cards plus one Joker. In this version of Pai Gow Poker, the
banker (or house) always plays as the dealer and covers all bets, and the player
only competes against the dealer. The player receives seven cards, which must
then be ?set? or split into two poker hands: a five-card hand and a two-card
hand. Once split, the player?s two hands are compared with the dealer?s two
hands to determine the winner.
The bank pays the winner?minus a 5% commission?and the game ends. The
commission is 5% of the bet and is rounded up to the next quarter. For example,
a minimum bet of $6 would be a commission of 50 cents. (5% of $6 = 30 cents, but
since the commission is rounded up to the next 25 cents; the commission is
actually 50 cents. 5% of $11 = 55 cents, which makes the actual commission 75
cents.)
PAI GOW POKER -
Deal
Clicking on the deal button after placing the initial bet starts a new game.
Split
Click on two cards to select them.
To better see all possible ways to split the initial seven cards, re-arrange
the hand by dragging cards to different locations. Automatically, cards are
initially sorted from highest to lowest.
After selecting two cards to place into the two-card hand, clicking the split
button arranges the seven cards into two hands?a five-card hand and a two-card
hand?and continues the game.
PAI GOW POKER -
The Deal
For each game, the dealer shuffles the deck and deals out seven cards into each
hand?the dealer?s cards remain unknown. The player must then ?set? or
split their seven cards into two poker hands: a five-card hand and a two-card
hand.
Splitting cards and rules on the Joker
Pai Gow Poker places only one restriction upon splitting the initial seven
cards: the five-card hand must have a higher poker rank than the two-card hand.
The only other twist during the game is how to play the Joker. The Joker can be
used to complete a five-card flush, straight, or straight flush. Otherwise, the
Joker counts as an ace.
Ranking the Hands
The hands are ranked according to standard poker rules with one exception: the
Ace-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. Straights rank, from
highest to lowest: Ace-K-Q-J-10, Ace-2-3-4-5, K-Q-J-10-9 ? 6-5-4-3-2. Also,
keep in mind that the best two-card hand is a pair of aces; the two-card hand
cannot have a flush (since a flush requires five cards).
| Hand Name |
Description |
Example |
| Five of a Kind |
4 aces plus the Joker |
AS, AH, AD, AC, Joker |
| Royal Flush |
10, J, Q, K, A of same suit |
10H, JH, QH, KH, AH |
| Straight Flush |
In sequence, 5 cards of same suit |
3S, 4S, 5S, 6S, 7S |
| Four of a Kind |
4 cards of same rank |
6D, 6S, 6C, 6H |
| Full House |
3 of a kind, plus a pair |
2H, 2D, 2S, 3H, 3S |
| Flush |
5 cards of same suit |
2D, 4D, 6D, 8D, 9D, |
| Straight |
5 cards in sequence |
3H, 4C, 5H, 6S, 7D |
| Three of a Kind |
3 cards of same rank |
7H, 7S, 7D |
| Two Pair |
2 pairs of different rank |
4H, 4S, 6D, 6S |
| One Pair |
1 pair (2 cards) of same rank |
KD, KH |
| High Card |
5 cards of different ranks and suits |
AH, KS, 10D, 5C, 2 |
Determining the Winner
The player?s two hands are compared with the dealer?s two hands to determine
the winner. If both the player?s five-card hand and two-card hand has a higher
poker rank than both the dealer?s hands (5 cards and 2 cards), the player
wins. If both of the dealer?s hands beat both of the player?s hands, the
dealer wins. If either the player or the dealer wins only one of the two hands,
the game is a push and neither the dealer nor the player wins. When either the
five-card hands or the two-card hands rank exactly the same, the equal hands are
called ?copies? of each other. The dealer wins all copy hands. For example,
if the player beats the dealer in the five-card hand but copies the dealer with
the two-card hand, the game is a push.
The Payout
When the player?s two hands beat the dealer?s two hands, the player wins an
amount equal to the original bet minus a 5% commission. The commission is 5% of
the bet and is rounded up to the next quarter as described above.
PAI GOW POKER -
Physical: Players may play more than one hand
when sitting at a Pai Gow table with fewer players than hands. The extra hands
are called ?dragon? hands.
Online: The player may play only one hand;
dragon hands are not supported.
Physical: A player may choose to be the banker
and must cover all winning bets.
Online: The dealer is always the banker.
Physical: Splitting the seven-card hand
incorrectly so the two-card hand has a higher poker rank than the five-card hand
forfeits the game.
Online: The player may re-split the hand. The
game only continues when the five-card hand has a higher poker rank than the
two-card hand.
Physical: The player can ask the house for
help when deciding how to split the hand. The house would then show how it would
split the hand.
Online: The online version does not support
asking the house for help.
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