Pai Gow Poker

Introduction
Pai Gow Poker is a casino game which is a variation of the Chinese domino game Pai Gow. Pai Gow is played with a deck of 53 cards, with a joker thrown in to provide an extra twist. The game is played one-on-one with the dealer pit against the player(s). Players need to form the best two-hand combination out of the seven cards dealt to them in order to beat the dealer.

Pai Gow Poker Basics
The object of Pai Gow poker is to create the best 2 poker hands from the 7 cards one is dealt. One hand is a five-card hand, known as the high hand, while the two-card hand is known as the low hand. In order to win, both of the player’s hands must be stronger than the dealer’s hands. Since players bet on both the 5-card and 2-card hands equally, both hands should be played strongly.

Start of Play
Pai Gow begins with each participating player placing a wager. The dealer then hands out seven cards to each player. Traditionally all seven hands are dealt in Pai Gow, irrespective of how many players are actually participating in the present game. The extra four cards are discarded and the hands that are dealt to ‘players’ that are not presents, are simply left untouched.

The Dealer's Moves
Once all the players have completed their high and low hands and all the cards are face down, the dealer may expose his cards. Players may not touch or rearrange their cards once the dealer’s cards are exposed. Just as the players did, the dealer arranges his cards into the best five and two-hand combination.

The Showdown
Once the dealer has completed forming his hand, the players begin to overturn their cards. The players’ cards are compared to the dealer’s cards and each hand’s fate is determined on an individual basis. The player’s 5-card hand is compared to the dealer’s 5-card hand and the player’s 2-card hand is compared to the dealer’s 2-card hand. The following results are possible:

• If the player wins both the 2-card and 5-card hands then the dealer pays out the player’s wager.
• If the dealer wins one hand and the player wins one hand, then no money is exchanged and this is known as a push.
• If the dealer wins both hands then the player loses his wager.
• If the dealer and the player have the same value in both hands, then the dealer wins and the player loses his wager.
• If the dealer wins one hand and the other is tied, the dealer wins.

If the player wins one hand and the other hand is tied, it is a push and no money is exchanged.

Being the Banker
As is clearly seen from the outcome of the showdown, being the banker in Pai Gow is certainly advantageous. In order to determine fair play, each player should be allowed to be the dealer an equal number of times during a playing session.

Pai Gow Poker Hand Ranks

When a player is the banker, he should bet as much as possible, and in turn to bet as little as possible when he is not the banker. It is best to bet between 6-14 times one normal wager when one is the banker. There might be some short term losses which are made up over the long term.

Most casinos place a limit on the number of hands that a player can play as banker, and the role of banker is passed around the table. Usually only one or two hands are allowed per banking play. If at all possible, one should try and find a table with no other players and a dealer, resulting in a player being able to bank every other hand.

Create The Strongest Two-Card Hands: Players should always remember that the two-card hand (low hand) is as important as the 5-card hand (high hand). New players often forget this rule and rush to create a strong high hand at the expense of their low hand. It is preferable to find the right combination to create two strong hands with odds of both of the hands winning. The high hand, of course, cannot be stronger than the low hand, but this does not mean that the low hand must be completely weak. Remember: If only one hand wins, the hand is lost!

Never Play a Full House: A full house should never be played as the high hand.

How to Play 3 Pairs: If a player is holding three pairs, the highest pair should be placed in the low hand. Any other two pairs give the player a good high hand, so it is best to keep the higher ranking pair for the low hand. If a player has six cards to a flush, then the lowest high card should lead the flush and the high card should be played in the low hand.

Asking for Assistance: Most Pai Gow tables are known for their friendly and relaxed atmosphere and this includes the fact that it is totally acceptable to ask the dealer for assistance. There should be no embarrassment involved in asking for assistance in try to figure out the game. Some casinos even allow fellow player to assist each other because players are only playing against the dealer and not against each other.

Conclusion
Pai Gow is great game involving both luck and skill, using the excitement of regular poker and adding twist by way of a joker. The need to create two powerful hands demands that the player understand the different options available and uses the cards in an optimal manner. Pai Gow tables are known to be one of the most relaxed areas of a casino and players who require extra assistance will find this in abundance.