Contents
Pai Gow Poker Basics
Pai Gow Poker Hand Ranks
How to Play Pai Gow Poker
How to Set Your Hands in Pai Gow Poker
How to Play as the Banker in Pai Gow Poker
The House Edge in Pai Gow Poker
Money Management in Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow Poker Etiquette
The House Way in Pai Gow Poker
Fortune Pai Gow Poker
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- The basics of pai gow poker hands, game play, and betting
- Money management strategies that will help you maximize your winnings
- Etiquette tips that will make you look like an old pro at the table
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Pai Gow Poker Basics
Based on the Asian domino game of pai gow, pai gow poker is a casino game that combines strategy and luck with a slow, friendly pace. If you’re looking to escape the frenzied atmosphere typical of a casino, pai gow poker is a good choice. The leisurely pace combined with only a moderate house edge can give you hours of entertainment at a relatively low price.
The object of pai gow poker is to create the two highest poker hands possible from the cards that you’re dealt. You’re dealt seven cards, which you must divide into a five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. You usually play your hands against the dealer’s, though you may also play them against other players’ hands.
Layout of a Pai Gow Poker Table
Pai gow poker is played at a blackjack-style table. The table has spaces for up to six players arranged in a semicircle on one side and a space for the dealer on the other side. In front of each player and the dealer are some spaces marked on the table’s surface. These markings represent the betting areas and the areas where the players lay down their hands. (For explanations of betting and game play, see How to Play Pai Gow Poker.)
The Dealer
The dealer is a casino employee responsible for shuffling and dealing the cards, exchanging players’ money for chips, and collecting a commission on winning bets. The dealer, who stands on the side of the table opposite the players, also plays the dealer hand according to specific rules (see The House Way in Pai Gow Poker).
The Players
The players sit or stand in a semicircle opposite the dealer. Usually, each player plays his hand against the dealer’s hand only: the other players’ hands don’t matter. An exception to this is if one of the players elects to be the banker (see later in this section).
The Banker
The banker is responsible for paying winning bets and collecting losing bets. Usually, the banker and the dealer are one and the same. That is, wins and losses are paid and taken from the casino’s money. At many casinos, though, each player is given the option to be the banker. If a player decides to be the banker, this player plays her hand against everyone else’s hand, including the dealer’s. A player acting as the banker must be able to cover all bets using her own money. (For more on playing as the banker, see How to Play as the Banker in Pai Gow Poker.)
The Cards in Pai Gow Poker
Pai gow poker is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus one joker.
Card Ranks
The rank of a card is based on its denomination. In pai gow poker, in order from lowest to highest, the rank of cards is as follows: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace.
Though normally considered a high card, in pai gow poker the ace can also be considered low (below a 2) for the purpose of making a straight.
Abbreviations for Card Names
The following abbreviations are often used when referring to cards in pai gow poker:
- T = Ten
- J = Jack
- Q = Queen
- K = King
- A = Ace
Card Suit
The suit of a card is the set or class to which the card belongs: clubs, diamonds, hearts, or spades. In pai gow poker, no suit is ranked higher than any other, but cards of the same suit can form a flush, straight flush, or royal flush.
The Joker
The joker in pai gow poker is a wild card, but with certain limitations:
- The joker may be used as a wild card to complete a straight, flush, straight flush, or royal flush. For instance, if you’re holding a 3, 5, 6, and a joker, the joker may be used as a 4 to complete the straight.
- The joker must be used as an ace if it can’t be used to complete a straight, flush, straight flush, or royal flush. For example, a joker and 5 is treated as an ace and a 5, not as a pair of 5s. A joker and an ace is treated as a pair of aces.
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