Pai Gow poker has long been a staple of casino table games. It’s one of the tables that you cruise by when you’re looking for the poker room or roulette wheel at a major casino. Walking past the Pai Gow poker table is usually met with comments like, “Pai Gow Poker. I wonder how you play that?” If you’ve ever wanted to know how to play Pai Gow poker, wanted to understand betting strategy, or just wanted to give your buddies a ridiculously detailed answer, we’ve got you covered with a guide to Pai Gow Poker.
Pai Gow Poker is actually a combination of a Chinese game called Pai Gow and traditional American poker. The game was first created in 1985 by Sammy Torosian at the Bell Card Club in Southern California. Sadly, Torosian didn’t patent the game. He lost out on millions in naming rights. However, his inspiration for the game shouldn’t be lost to time.
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Pai Gow Poker: How to Play, Rules to Know and Betting Advice
What is the goal of Pai Gow Poker?
The outcome that you’re playing towards with Pai Gow Poker isn’t that different than other poker games. You’re looking to have the best hand, but there are differences. In Pai Gow Poker, you want to beat the banker. The banker can be the dealer, another player, or a player-dealer combo.
To win at Pai Gow Poker you have to make two hands out of the seven cards you’re dealt. You need to make a five-card ‘high hand’. This is also called the ‘back hand’ or the ‘big hand’. You also have to make a two-card ‘low hand’. The ‘low hand’ is referred to as the ‘front hand’ or ‘small hand’.
Your high hand has to beat your low hand. This means that if the high hand has a pair of number cards, you’re low hand has to be worse than your high hand. If you have a pair of 3’s in your high hand, your low hand has to be a pair of twos or worse.
Is there anything unique about a Pai Gow Poker deck?
This game is played with a standard 52-card deck plus one Joker. Standard
How is Pai Gow Poker dealt?
After a standard shuffle from the dealer, the cards are dealt into seven 7-card piles, face down. The remaining four cards are discarded.
A number is drawn at random by all seated players to determine who gets their pile first, and piles are handed out counter-clockwise.
How do I ‘set’ my hand in Pai Gow Poker?
This is the stage of the game in which you determine your high hand and low hand. Your five-card, high hand must be better than your two-card, low hand.
Keep in mind that the Joker can only be used to complete either a flush or a straight, or it becomes an ace. It is possible to get a hand with five aces. The five ace hand is the strongest in the game and even beats a Royal Flush in Pai Gow Poker.
What is a Pai Gow Showdown?
After you’ve set your hand, place the two-card hand in front of the five-card hand on the table. Both hands should be face down.
Once you ‘set’ your hand, you cannot touch the cards again.
After all hands are set, the dealer will show the house hand to the table. The table should have clearly marked spaces for both the house high hand and low hand to be displayed.
If both your high hand and low hand beat the banker, you win. If the banker’s high hand and low hand beat yours, the banker wins. However, if you win one hand and lose the other, the game is a push, and the wagers are returned.
Winning wagers result in an even money payout minus a five percent commission to the house in most formats.
Is there a betting strategy in a traditional game?
Not really. You bet at the start of the game, and can’t raise like you can in traditional poker. Winning bets are paid out at even money. The best advice is to set your betting amount and stick to it.
Some skill is involved in how you set your hand, but this game isn’t quite as skill-dependent as Texas Hold’em or stud poker.
Are there variations of Pai Gow Poker
There are a lot of variations of this game. Most casinos have their own variation that may have unique rules or payouts. A good rule to follow is, if you see an unfamiliar name, ask about the rules before making a costly mistake.
Fortune and Progressive variants are among the most popular versions that you’ll find in person or at an online casino.
Fortune or Progressive Pai Gow Poker allows you to make an additional side bet on how good your seven-card hand is. For example, if you can build a five-card straight with your seven cards and make a side bet, you can earn 2-to-1 on the straight. However, if you don’t get at least a five-card straight, you lose. Most casinos don’t pay out on fortune bets for three-of-a-kind.
Some tables also have a minimum for an ‘envy’ bet that pays out if another player at the table hits four-of-a-kind or better. Rules and payouts can vary by table, so it’s best to ask first before sitting down.
Keep in mind that your time playing online or at a table shouldn’t cause additional stress. You get enough of that from work, family, and sports gambling. If your blood pressure is rising, get up, take a walk, throw on your earphones, and listen to the latest episode of the Sports Gambling Podcast, but always remember to let it ride!
