Pai Gow Poker is a combination of the Chinese domino game Pai Gow and poker; sometimes it is also called Double-hand Poker. It uses a standard poker card deck plus one single joker. The main objective of the game is to defeat the banker (who can be the casino dealer or a fellow player). Even though this game is not as fast paced as other casino games, it connects skills with luck and can last quite a long while due to the fact that the buy in is usually not as high as for other games.
Before the cards are dealt every player makes an initial bet. After that, seven cards are dealt to everyone. These seven cards are used to make a hand of five and a hand of two; however, the five card hand must exceed the value of the two card hand. A randomly generated number or a roll of the dice generally determines who gets the first set of cards and the rest of the players are dealt in counter-clockwise. The hand of five is ranked according to the usual poker rules with the exception of a hand called the wheel, which is a straight flush (five sequential card of the same suit) starting with and ace and ending with a five. This hand ranks lower than a royal flush but higher than a straight flush with the king as its highest card. Other than that the hands are ranked as follows: Individual high cards are the lowest hand, then one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight (five cards of sequential rank), flush (five cards of the same suit), full house (a pair plus three of a kind), four of a kind, and straight flush (five sequential card of the same suit). The two card hand is scored by pairs beating singles and then by the individual value of the cards. The joker can be used to complete a straight or a flush in the five card hand; otherwise it counts as an ace. In the two card hand it always plays as an ace. If each of the player’s hands beats the banker’s corresponding hands he wins and doubles his money (minus a small fee). If both of the player’s hands are lower than the banker’s he loses and his entire wager is gone. In the case of an exact tie the win always goes to the banker. Should the player only beat the banker with one of his hands, it’s a push, meaning no one wins.
There are numerous strategies on how to proceed with different combinations of cards. In fact, the chances of winning against the banker are only slightly lower than the chances of losing, which implies that in this game a skilled player can win a lot of money. Another peculiarity of Pai Gow Poker is that the players have the opportunity to be the banker. In this case they can win the money that the other players lose and only a small percentage of the net win goes to the casino. In any case, this game includes features which are unique and make for a thrilling playing experience. As with most casino games the advantages of playing Pai Gow Poker in an online environment are numerous. Online casinos increase the pace of this game; since the tedious parts of dealing the cards and determining that has the winning hands are resolved in a matter of seconds. And no matter if one only wants to play a few hands, or to spend an entire afternoon perfecting one’s strategy, online casinos can accommodate the needs of any player.
