Pai Gow Poker

 

Pai Gow Poker is a popular casino game that was adopted from the Chinese. The Chinese have a domino game that is called Pai Gow and Pai Gow Poker uses this concept and just replaces dominoes with poker values. Pai Gow Poker is a table game that is played against a dealer and uses a standard deck with one joker. The maximum amount of players at a table is seven. The two-hand and hand ranking variants are what make this game a little more interesting.

 

Best Casinos to Play Pai Gow Poker Online

 

 

Rules

 

The dealer uses a standard 52-card deck with the addition of one joker. The joker is always an ace unless you are using it to complete a five-card draw. The five-card draw has to be a straight, flush or straight flush.

Each player is dealt seven cards after they place their bets. The table will have a posted minimum and maximum bet limitation. Players are allowed to look at their cards; however, the dealer does not look at theirs.

Each player then divides his or her cards into two hands. You must create a five-card hand and a two-card hand. The five-card hand is ranked the same as in Texas Hold 'em or many other poker games. It uses the standard Poker ranking system with a few important variants.

The variants in the five-card hand ranking system begin with the straight A-2-3-4-5. This is the second best straight or straight flush. The highest straight or flush is A-K-Q-J-10, then A-2-3-4-5, followed by K-Q-J-10-9. In Pai Gow Poker, Five Aces is the absolute best hand. The fifth Ace is possible with the Joker.

For the two-card hand, basic poker ranking is used. A pair beats nothing, and the highest pair wins. A pair is the only possible outcome with only two cards.

You're playing your five-card hand against the dealer's large hand and your two-card hand against the dealer's low hand. If you win both hands, you win your bet. If you split, you push. If the dealer wins both, you lose your bet.

 

Forming Your Two Hands

When you put your seven cards into two hands, the five-card hand has to be higher than your two-card hand. For example, you cannot have a pair in your two-card hand and a pair in your five-card hand. You would need two pairs in your five-card hand or better in order to have a pair in your two-card hand. If you only have one pair, you're going to have a pair in your five-card hand and nothing in your two-card hand. The dealer will eventually have to form two-hands in the same fashion.

If the hands are not formulated properly and the five-card hand is not higher than the two-card hand, then both hands are eliminated or deemed foul. This indicates an automatic loss of each hand. So, make sure that you put your hands together correctly and that the five-card hand is the highest.

 

Strategy

 

In Pai Gow Poker, you have a unique opportunity where you can be the banker. The role for banker goes around the table in turn and each player has the option to be the banker. Basically, when you're the banker, the dealer plays and has to bet equal to the amount you bet the previous hand. It is extremely advantageous to be the banker since you get the house edge. The banker must have enough to cover all of the other player's bets and include the dealer's bet.

The house edge is dependent upon a few factors. You need to be skilled at putting your hands together and if you are, this lowers the house edge. Also, how much you bank when you're the banker is a contributing factor. The ratio of how much players bet when you're the banker versus the player weighs heavily into your odds. If they bet more when you're the banker, your odds improve.

 

Pai Gow Poker Hand Odds:

 

28.61% that the player wins both hands
41.48% that the player and banker push (split - five-card and two-card hands)
29.91% that the banker wins both hands

The house edge from each position as the player, the banker and a combination of both is as follows:

2.66% as the Player
0.12% as the Banker
1.46% when combining both positions (Player and Banker)

According to these statistics, you can see that the house edge is next to nothing when you are the banker. This goes to show how the ratio theory of how much is bet when you are the banker versus the player makes a big impact on your odds. You have the best odds to make the most money when you're the banker.

House edge when the house is the banker:

Edge - Number of Other Players
-0.21% - 6
-0.19% - 5
-0.15% - 4
-0.10% - 3
-0.02% - 2
+0.20% - 1

Pai Gow Poker is an interesting game where you can win a lot of money quickly as the banker. The game includes some exciting concepts and requires players to think critically before making a decision. Make sure you analyze and formulate your hands correctly. The five-card hand has to be higher than the two-card hand or you'll be disqualified. Pai Gow Poker brings a different style to poker with the option to act as the banker. If you're new to Pai Gow Poker, learn the rules and practice for fun or at low stake games.