Pai Gow Poker, anyone?
Q: How to play Pai Gow Poker?
Pai Gow Poker is a casino card game that combines elements of poker and the ancient Chinese game of Pai Gow. The objective of the game is to create two hands from seven cards: a 5-card hand (called the “high” hand) and a 2-card hand (called the “low” hand). Both hands must beat the dealer’s corresponding hands to win.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play Pai Gow Poker:
1. Setting Up the Game
- Pai Gow Poker is usually played with a 52-card deck plus one joker. The joker is used to complete a straight or flush, or it can be used as an Ace.
- Players are dealt 7 cards face down, which they need to split into two hands: a 5-card hand (high) and a 2-card hand (low).
- The goal is to set these hands so that both the 5-card hand (high) and the 2-card hand (low) beat the dealer’s corresponding hands.
2. Placing Your Bet
- Before the cards are dealt, you place your bet on the table.
- Each player can bet on their own hand or even bet on the dealer’s hand, though betting on the dealer’s hand is less common.
3. Dealing the Cards
- Each player is dealt 7 cards, face down.
- The dealer also receives 7 cards, which they will set into their own hands.
4. Creating the Two Hands
- The player needs to separate their 7 cards into a 2-card hand (low) and a 5-card hand (high). The 5-card hand must be stronger than the 2-card hand.
- 5-Card Hand: This hand follows standard poker hand rankings (from high to low: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card).
- 2-Card Hand: The best possible 2-card hand is a pair (usually Aces). If there are no pairs, the hand is ranked by the highest cards.
- Important rule: The 5-card hand must always be ranked higher than the 2-card hand. For example, if your 5-card hand is a Full House, your 2-card hand can’t be a pair lower than the 5-card hand’s value.
5. Dealer’s Hand
- The dealer also arranges their hand according to a set house rule (known as a “house way”).
- This is usually predetermined by the casino, so players don’t need to worry about how the dealer arranges their hand.
6. Comparing Hands
- Once both the player and dealer have set their hands, the results are compared:
- The 5-card hand (high) is compared with the dealer’s 5-card hand.
- The 2-card hand (low) is compared with the dealer’s 2-card hand.
- To win, both your 5-card hand and 2-card hand must beat the dealer’s corresponding hands.
- Winning: You win the round if both of your hands beat the dealer’s hands.
- Losing: If either one of your hands loses to the dealer’s hands, you lose the round.
- Push: If you win one hand and the dealer wins the other, the round is a push (a tie), and you keep your bet.
7. Special Hand Considerations
- Joker: The joker is a wild card and can be used as an Ace, or to complete a straight or flush.
- If you have a Joker and a 5-card hand that doesn’t form a straight or flush, you can use the Joker as an Ace to improve the hand.
- The Joker cannot be used to create a 2-card hand with a value higher than a pair of Jacks.
8. House Edge
- Pai Gow Poker typically has a relatively low house edge, often around 2.5%. However, since there are ties (pushes), it can take longer to win consistently. Some casinos may charge a small commission (typically 5%) on winning hands.
Example of a Winning Set:
- You have the following 7 cards:
- 3♠, 7♦, 9♣, J♦, J♥, Q♠, A♠
- You can arrange your hands like this:
- 5-Card Hand (High): J♦, J♥, Q♠, 9♣, 7♦ (Pair of Jacks, Queen kicker)
- 2-Card Hand (Low): 3♠, A♠ (Ace-high)
- If the dealer has a 5-card hand like 10♠, 10♣, 9♥, 8♦, 7♠, and a 2-card hand of K♠, 2♦, you would win the 5-card hand (since your Jacks beat their Tens) and win the 2-card hand (since your Ace-high beats their King-high).
Pai Gow Poker is a fun and strategic game where understanding the rules of hand-setting is key to success. The game is more about making the right decisions with the cards you have, as it involves both chance and skill in organizing your hands.