Pai Gow Poker
Pai Gow poker is loosely based on ancient Chinese domino game Pai Gow.
Instead of having a deck of 52 cards, Pai Gow poker makes use of the joker in the card box. The joker is treated as an ace and can be used only to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush.
Pai Gow is essentially a one-on-one game. A player does not try to beat all others at the table, instead he compares hands with the banker of the game. Players take turns at being a banker, although a player can opt to decline the role.
The game does not begin until all players have wagered. A roll of the dice or a number that’s randomly generated determines who among the players gets the first set of cards. Players are dealt with seven cards, which they have to arrange as a two-card hand and a five-card hand. Regardless of the number of players, in Pai Gow four cards are set aside and are not used.
The ranking on the five-hand card is the same as in traditional poker. Most casinos treat the “wheel” or Ace-2-3-4-5 as the second highest straight. The two-hand card can be treated as a pair or as individual cards. The highest pair is two aces while the least is a 2-3 pair.
After all the players are done arranging their hands, the banker arranges the hands according to the “house way”, which is a set of fixed rules. After this is done, each player’s five-card hand is compared to the banker’s five-card hand. The same goes for each player’s two-card hand - it is also compared to the banker’s two-card hand. If two players have an exact match of hands (“copy”), the tie is credited to the banker.
The rules of Pai Gow, however, do not allow players to compete against one other. They compete at all times against the banker – one on one. If a player beats the banker at both hands, he wins even money minus a five percent commission. If a player wins only on one hand and loses at another, it is a push for the bet. If a player loses at both hands, the player loses his entire wager.
At any Pai Gow game, the two-card hand cannot be higher than the five-card hand, otherwise both hands will be deemed foul.
In order to increase your chances at winning, it is very important to arrange your cards very well. The more important factor in improving the odds though is to determine your betting ratio when you are the banker compared to when you are player.
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